An Unlikely Pair
by lynarose55
Summary: Forever has always been an optimistic term for Camryn. But when it changes context, specifically when connected to a werewolf, forever doesn't appear to be as appealing. Her problem now is to figure out if it is for the better or worse. Paul x OC
1. Chapter 1: The Present Situation

**Chapter 1: The Present Situation**

As long as I can remember I have been told to focus on the present, to live like every moment was my last. I was constantly pushed to try new things, from community soccer programs to state wide beauty pageants (much to my displeasure). What my family didn't understand was that I was happy without all of the inevitable chaoses of humanity, that I would much rather remain among their consistent, perceptive, composed selves.

They were always finding ways to avoid my complaints and reasoning, though, continuing to bring home the most current event flyers, contest sign-up sheets, and volunteer opportunities.

When I was eight, and Edward happened to be out of town for a while, I stuffed all the pamphlets and flyers the teachers tried to send home with me in the back of my desk, hoping that I would avoid another "golden opportunity" (so termed by Rosalie) for as long as I could. But when I got home, Alice was sitting at the dinner table, all the crumpled papers smoothed out in front of her.

All of the "golden opportunities" forced upon me were, naturally, in the expectation that I was going to remain human. My mortality was a touchy subject. It was two against seven—I had managed to guilt Bella to my side after doing some digging into her past.

My theory was that if I was ever in any life threatening situation, let's say accidentally getting my head bashed open, or being chased down by hungry, non-vegetarian vampires, they could always change me. It would solve a lot of our problems actually.

They were my family; they had raised me for all but four years of my life. What did they think was going to happen? That I would accept my mortality, the one thing that I had always hated about myself, and accept a life not forever intertwined with theirs?

Like I said, it would solve our little problem of savage vampires wanting to eat me, the Volturi included.

My wish had yet to be granted of course, but I still had the expectations. Oh, the expectations! It happened for Bella, did it not?

All I had to do was find some vampire to fall desperately in love with me. That was the main obstacle though: I was moved around too much to meet anybody worth my while.

Human boys were never a problem though. I had grown too accustomed to my family's charm and grace, that by the time I reached the age of dating, human boys just didn't measure up. Needless to say, this caused some disappointment for Alice, Rosalie, and Esme, but nevertheless, my mind is made up.

My plans, however, had come to an unexpected halt. All because of my mortality problem, easily fixed if you asked me, but they never agreed.

Now I was stuck just outside the rainy little town of Forks, Washington, on an ancient Native American reservation that I couldn't for the life of me recall the name of, very far from any of my adopted family. I only had a large suitcase full of brand new clothing (Alice felt guilty, and rightfully so), Bella's tattered old Jane Austen collection, and Emmett's jumbo-sized black leather biker jacket.

I could just picture how ridiculous I looked: A 5'6" pale red-head with green eyes and formerly curly hair—formerly because the extra-moisturized air was causing the delicate curls to go every which way—trying to look bad-ass in a biker's jacket.

I sat atop the overly stuffed suitcase in the middle of one of the reservation's god-forsaken beaches. I made a mental note to give all of my family a good beating the moment I made the transformation from mortal to vampire. Emmett too, _especially_ Emmett.

I sighed and shrugged Emmett's coat tighter around my shoulders. I was not normally so bitter, but I felt abandoned. Here I was, completely alone for the first time since I was four, and completely clueless.

All Alice had told me after she had hailed a cab at the Seattle airport was that I was to find one of the La Push—yes, that was the name of the reservation; it was so much easier to recall in Alice's musical voice—beaches and wait there. I wasn't to move from the beach. Then once my damn ride showed up I was to hand them a letter (which I was not to open or read) containing god knows what.

The envelope that contained the letter, or should I say letters, was bulky. It had a name written across the front written in Bella's handwriting—_Jake_. I didn't know who this Jake fellow was, but I did know one thing, he obviously had never learned to tell time. That is, if he was even expecting me.

I don't know what possessed me to look into the nearby woods, but I did, and boy did that freak me out. Four pairs of eyes were staring directly at me. I had to force myself to start breathing again. It didn't take me long to realize who, or what, the eyes belonged to. I did have Bella for a guardian after all, and she can't lie to save her life.

My family was seriously going insane. I mean, _werewolves_? Honestly? After hearing everyone but Bella tell me how revolting they were, I wouldn't have expected this, not in a million years, or forever, whichever one turns out to be the longest.

I slowly stood, remembering all the stories I had been told over the years. Once I was standing, the four distinctively different colored beasts stepped out onto the beach, slowly approaching.

I remained unmoving, knowing that if I didn't, my mortality could get the better of me. Without one important piece of my plan, namely the vampire part, I was forced to pay close attention to the present situation. I was sure my family would have been proud. That is, if they weren't half-way across the continent without me.

The tallest one was in front, the leader from the looks of it, its russet brown coat shaggier than the others. The other three flanked him. The one to my right was the color of desert sand; the one closest to my left was chocolate brown, while the other was a light silvery gray. All towered over my small 5'6" frame. It was rather terrifying, actually.

They sniffed the air around me cautiously, while I stared silently back, observing their actions and appearance. Then, almost simultaneously, they all yelped loudly, causing me to jump nearly five feet in the air. With a definitive growl, the one in front stared me down before darting back into the trees, followed by the other three. I suspected they'd left to change forms.

It turns out I was right.


	2. Chapter 2: Arch Nemesis

**Chapter 2: Arch Nemesis**

Four copper-skinned, black-haired, unnaturally tall men strode out of the woods. They were practically naked, only clothed in baggy pants, all torn to different degrees. They stopped suddenly, leaving a good two meters of sand between us. All had their hands balled up into tight fists. So, _this_ was the enemy, I thought, sizing them up.

"Who sent you?" The tall one said gruffly. His tone sent chills down my spine. They stood in the same formation, the one on the right and the one to the far left appeared to be younger than the other two, and the closer one on the left was slightly more muscular.

I tried to respond, but no sound would emerge from my dry lips. The four continued to glare. So, in place of speech, I plucked the envelope from my jacket's inner pocket and held it out for them to take. My hand was shaking and my heart was beating uncontrollably.

"What's that?" the tall werewolf asked in the same gruff tone.

"A letter." I managed my voice raspy. God, what did he think it was? Anthrax?

With a nod of his shaggy black-haired head, he signaled the one with the light gray coat to retrieve the white bulk from my hand. He was in front of me after one stride, snatching it from my shaking fingers before quickly returning to his position.

I didn't flinch at his sudden movement; unnatural speed was something that I had become accustomed to. He handed it to the leader. His eyes seemed to bulge out of their sockets as he read the name.

"Who are you?" He practically whispered. I had to strain to hear him.

I cleared my throat. "Camryn Cullen." My voice was raspy from disuse.

That seemed to do it. He started to shake violently. The rest didn't seem to notice, probably because they were too busy staring open-jawed at me.

I, however, shifted uncomfortably, sympathizing with all the disgusting little germs that get stared at under a microscope in those bad-smelling, scientific laboratories. I kept glancing nervously at the shaking werewolf. This was one thing Edward had made very clear in my lessons of the supernatural (or the super-cool, as I liked to refer to them), whenever a werewolf starts to shake get far, far away. I didn't really think he'd consider two meters far, far away. At the moment, neither did I.

A full minute had passed without a word and I couldn't bear it any longer. "Is he…" I trailed off, searching for the right word, "safe?" I finished, nodding my head towards the unstable werewolf.

"Give him a minute." The muscled one replied.

They had closed their mouths by now, but they still stared with their dark brooding eyes. They seemed confident enough in their companion's control, but you can never be too sure. Edward taught me that too.

I watched with fear and fascination as the shaking slowly subsided.

"You good?" the burly one asked, with eyes still locked onto me. The tall one grunted his reply.

"Why are you here?" he asked in a strained voice, returning to what I expected to be a long string of questions.

"I don't know. The letter is supposed to explain everything." I replied honestly, shrugging my shoulders. My heart slowed to its normal speed, allowing me to think a little more clearly. Werewolves didn't seem so bad, I decided, at least not to the extent that Edward and Emmett had claimed.

"You're a Cullen?" The young, gray one asked in a shocked voice, clearly unable to control his curiosity. He was practically bursting at the seams.

I turned and looked at the new spokesman skeptically. "That's what I said." I replied.

"But you're not a bloodsucker!" He exclaimed. I gaped at him, shocked beyond belief. I immediately took back my nice thoughts and affected a vicious stare at him.

"Excuse me?" I began heatedly. "How dare you insult my family! They're more civilized than you'll ever be, that's for sure!" No wonder everyone in my family acted disgusted whenever werewolves were brought up. Bella really was insane.

They stared at me, clearly shell-shocked. The tall one started to shake again, although not as violently. I just crossed my arms and glared. Stupid werewolves.

The tall one stopped shaking and broke the silence, "How long do you plan on staying?"

"Hell if I know. Why don't you just read the letter?" I spat, scowling. They had just ruined their standing with me. See if I ever doubt Edward and Emmett's judgment again. Here I was thinking that those two were just extremely over-reactive.

The tall one, who I determined to be the mysterious Jake, turned the envelope over and slid his finger underneath the sealed flap. He pulled out the lined paper on top and unfolded it nervously. He read it silently, eyes skimming quickly over the words. I itched with curiosity.

"It appears that you will be taking up residence with us for the time being." He said after a long moment, stuffing the letter back into the envelope. Everyone, including myself, and excluding Jake, started.

"What?" We all seemed to gasp in unison.

"I'll explain later. Just get her bag, we're going to Sam's. Collin, Seth, you two run ahead. Have my dad, Sue, and the rest of the gang meet us there. Quil, go get the Rabbit and bring it around." Jake ordered ignoring me. The first two ran off after exchanging a meaningful glance with Quil.

"You sure you're going to be okay alone?" Quil asked Jake, clearly concerned.

"I'll be fine now. I have it under control. Just don't take too long." Jake replied coolly. Quil quickly ran off in the opposite direction, in Collin and Seth's wake.

Jake and I remained on the beach. Alone. Alone with a werewolf. Edward wouldn't be pleased. Too bad Alice's visions didn't work with werewolves around—I wished he could see me now and feel bad for abandoning me like this.

"So you just think I'm going to go along with this?" I questioned, eyebrows raised and arms crossed.

"Your _family_ seemed to think so." He nearly choked on that precious word.

"I highly doubt that, _Jake_," I replied, pronouncing his name with just enough venom. "They would know me better than _that_."

He looked at me for a short moment, eyes full of some emotion I didn't recognize. Sorrow? Regret?Or maybe it was a werewolf look for "I'm hungry". Who knows?

He finally let out a large sigh. "Actually, they said you'd probably be extremely stubborn and foul tempered, but to ignore it because deep down you are a very needy person and can't stand being alone." He smirked. I scowled.

"I am not _needy_!" I immediately cried in a pitch slightly higher than normal. "I don't believe you." I stated decidedly after giving him my death glare.

"Then why don't you leave. I could show you a few of the better camping spots." He replied calmly.

I glared at him for a few moments more before huffing and sitting back on top of the suitcase, arms crossed angrily. He stifled a laugh.

I hated when I was proven wrong, or made to look like the weak human that I was, but they did have a point. Not like I was going to ever tell them that, although Edward was sure to already know. My neediness was not because I couldn't take care of myself, because believe me, I could.

It was because of my greatest fear, abandonment. It always took me back to a moment, one of the first I can remember, that I was never able to forget. No matter how hard I tried. I quickly pushed those thoughts away, bringing myself back to the present (again this was unfortunately inevitable).

"So," I said after a few moments, indicating to the water behind me, "get any good waves?"


	3. Chapter 3: Stench

**Chapter 3: Stench**

"I am not riding with her." Quil immediately claimed as he finished stuffing my suitcase in the back of the black Rabbit. "No offense," he added hurriedly, obviously recalling my previous outburst.

"It's not like I'm a vampire, or anything." I said confused. Bella had mentioned that vampires could recognize werewolves from their distinct smell, and vice versa.

"No, but you sure smell like one." Quil said, wrinkling his nose. "Man, I swear it wasn't this bad on the beach!"

"She was downwind from us on the beach," Jake told him, his face mirroring Quil's, "but, as you may have noticed, the wind has changed direction."

"I don't understand. How can I smell like a vampire?" I asked, fascinated.

"Their smell can rub off on anything," Jake explained. "It's probably all mixed in with your hair and clothes."

"But that doesn't explain why it's so strong," Quil complained. Jake went around to the front of the car and lifted the hood, looking intently at the engine.

"Emmett's jacket," I suddenly blurted, smiling to myself.

"You mean that leather bag you're wearing?" Quil asked, appraising it with a newfound interest.

"Yeah. Emmett gave it to me before I got on the plane. He said something about it being a good present for something or another." I said, recalling the fact that Edward had elbowed him in the side before he could finish what he was saying. It was obvious to me now, he was about to say 'werewolves'.

"That's a blood-su…I mean vampire's jacket?" Quil asked, quickly correcting himself.

"Yep." I replied smiling.

Emmett's little joke struck me as extremely funny. In a way he had given me a part of himself to take with me, and not just in the material sense of his beloved biker jacket, but one of his infamous pranks. I could hear his contagious laughter ringing inside my head, broadening my smile.

"Can that thing go in the wash?" Quil asked, eye-balling the expensive black leather.

"Not if you don't want to ruin it." I replied, hugging Emmett's most prized piece of clothing tighter around my body. "And I _don't_ want to ruin it." I added just as Quil was about to reply. He quickly shut his mouth. Hah!

Jake mumbled something inaudible from his position under the car's hood.

"Really?" Quil said sounding pleased.

"I believe so." Jake replied coming out from under the hood and shutting it carefully. He had grease all over his hands and on the sides of his face.

"Wait. What did you say?" I interjected. Stupid werewolf hearing. This had also been a problem at home, but they always slowed down whenever I was around. Well, most of the time anyway.

"There's a guy just outside of town, Old Nathaneal, who used to specialize in leather crafts. My dad knows him. He can probably clean that jacket up without doing any harm to it. We can drop it off on our way to Sam's," he explained. "I don't think I can bear that smell much longer."

"Fine," I sighed climbing through the car door Jake held open for me, "but if it gets ruined in any way, I'm blaming you."

"You coming?" Jake asked Quil, as he walked around to the driver's side.

"Are you kidding? I'll meet you at the house. You seem to have her under control." He said with a teasing grin, jogging backwards toward another clump of trees.

"See you there." He called, taking in a deep breath before sliding into the driver seat next to me.

The first thing he did was let down the windows. The majority of the trip was silent, but it wasn't long until we pulled up to an old trailer on the side of the road. A rundown barn stood next to it.

"Here, give me your jacket. This shouldn't take long." I reluctantly slid the jacket off my shoulders and handed it to him.

"You're sure it'll be safe?" I asked worriedly. I practically had to pry my fingers off of it.

"Positive." He said rolling his eyes.

He jogged towards the barn with the jacket held away from his body with two fingers. An elderly looking man met him at the door, his copper skin wrinkled and his long gray hair braided down his back. Jake spoke and the man nodded, glancing briefly in my direction. Jake was back an instant later.

"So can he do it?" I asked, already knowing the answer since he had returned empty handed.

"He said we could pick it up in a day or two." He responded nonchalantly.

Our next destination was close by. No sooner did we leave Old Nathaneal's house than we were pulling into a long gravel driveway. At the end of the drive stood a gray house, which had obviously been expanded over the past few years. I noted the two different shades of gray. The paint on the old side was dull and chipped, while on the newer side it was still relatively clean and smooth. There were many narrow windows along the front, each with its own window box underneath. The front door was painted a cheerful robin-egg blue.

"Just to prepare you, not everyone will be welcoming, considering our history with your family." Jake said breaking the silence and my observations.

"I expected as much." I replied, trying to sound casual.

"And don't stare at Sam's wife." He added, starting to get out of the car.

"Why would I stare?" I asked, unbuckling and opening the door.

"Just don't, okay?" He responded somewhat irritably. I could tell that I had reached my limit with questions so I fell silent, following him up the concrete steps.

I was insanely nervous. My hands started to clam up and my throat began to go dry. It was always the same, when I had to do any sort of public speaking, and every time I changed schools and had to reintroduce myself. Only this was much, _much_ worse.

The door opened into a bright room and many loud voices. I could pick out the sound of Quil's already, but nothing was audibly clear in the buzz. The moment Jake moved out of the way to let me pass was when the voices stopped all together. I could practically hear the crickets chirping in the background.

The room, which turned out to be a kitchen, was packed with similar looking people, all with dark hair and copper skin. My red-gold hair and pale skin made me feel immediately out of place. There was a large age range in the group, the youngest probably being about two.

All eyes had turned towards me in the same instant the talking had ceased; even the toddler's large chocolate brown eyes stared at me but the stare lacked the guilty look that people get in their eyes whenever they get caught by the person they were talking about.

It made me extremely uncomfortable. I shifted nervously from foot to foot, and chewed on my bottom lip. It wasn't like I was an alien or anything, just a normal looking human being, not too interesting. _Ignore me. Ignore me._ I begged them in my thoughts.

"Everyone, this is Camryn Cullen, she will be staying with us for a while." Jake said introducing me to the silent crowd.

They remained silent, as if the news had already been broken to them. I suspected the sand colored one, named either Collin or Seth, I wasn't really sure. He was standing off in the back next to the curly haired woman who was holding the little girl with the large chocolate-brown eyes.

"Jacob, can I talk to you a moment? _Outside_." One of the older men said. Only it wasn't a question, it was an order. Apparently, Jake wasn't the alpha of the pack, like I was led to believe.

"If you don't mind I would like to remain here," he replied calmly, ignoring his superior.

"Fine," he snapped. "It was your choice, remember that."

"What is it you have to say Sam?" Jake asked in the same veiled tone.

Their little spat made me even more nervous and I could tell it made the others nervous too. One of the women hurriedly shooed the kids out of the room, telling them something about a fun game they could play in the back room. They reluctantly left, dragging their feet all the way out the door.

"Why is _she_ even here?" He referred to me as if I was some disgusting fly on his windshield. This made me feel even more unwelcome, and my insecurities started to grow. I was not wanted, and they (my family) had known that. Every last one of them. But they had still sent me, leaving me in the hands of these cruel, inhospitable beasts.

Jake just pulled the lined paper out of his pocket and practically shoved it into the alpha's hands. Sam looked down confused, but then unfolded it and began to read. He looked up at Jake, eyebrows furrowed in disbelief and concentration. Geez! My curiosity was practically killing me.

"We need to have a meeting. _Right now_. Everybody outside." All the males, and two females filed out the back door.

"Wait. Where are Jared and Paul?" Sam halted in front of the door that led to a deck. The others almost ran into him.

"He took a double patrol last night remember? It was Jared and Kim's anniversary, so their still in Seattle. And Paul's pretty much useless right now anyway." Quil replied. Sam nodded and they proceeded to file out the door.

I stood awkwardly near the front door, extremely unsure of what to do. I was left in the kitchen with one other girl who looked about my age. She was sitting around a large table that was surrounded by mismatched chairs and was looking at me curiously. Her straight ebony hair was in two long braids, with straight bangs cut just above her eyebrows.

"Do you really live with vampires?" she finally asked, as if this was the most casual thing to ask a person.

"Do you really live with werewolves?" I asked back. A smile spread across her face, lighting up her eyes, and she patted the chair next to her. Not having anything else to do, I walked over hesitantly, peering out the window before sitting down. The yard was empty.

"My name's Claire." She said introducing herself. "I'm sixteen. Sam, the grouchy one, is my uncle." She added, explaining her connection to the wolves.

"I'm Camryn. I'm seventeen." I responded.

"Are you a junior or senior?" Claire asked.

"Senior." I replied. I still was unsure about my situation with the wolves, so I wasn't exactly very responsive. My mind was elsewhere, particularly what was going to happen to me.

"Ouch! Moving in the middle of your senior year, that's gotta suck." Claire flinched; she was obviously not used to my normal nomadic lifestyle.

"I'm used to it, I guess. I was being home-schooled this year though." I said, shrugging.

She nodded her understanding. "Where'd you move from anyway?" She asked.

"We were staying in Georgia for a while before I had to come here." I replied. Jasper had known a few good places to hide out, and so we decided to take advantage of his knowledge.

When the pack returned, we were in the middle of discussing our favorite Jane Austen characters. For some odd reason, the two of us went from awkward small-talk to what movies we had seen recently, which included a modern remake of _Pride and Prejudice_, which ultimately led to our intensive discussion of Jane Austen's work.

Our quick bond was a little odd for me since I had always been the girl in the back of the class room, the one with acquaintances but never friends. The fact that I had moved around a lot was part of it, but another part was that I tended to close out anyone other than my family. My need for companionship may have been the underlying reason for this budding friendship, but when I thought about it, that wasn't it at all.

All of the pack just stood there a moment, watching us laugh, and I knew then that my life just became even more complicated. I'm not entirely sure how I feel about it just yet.

"So, is she staying?" Claire asked Quil, who was the first to re-enter the kitchen, his arm resting casually on the back of her chair.

"Naturally," he replied, smiling. A look was exchanged between the two, one I was very familiar with.

I had Bella and Edward to thank for that.


	4. Chapter 4: Living Arrangements

**Chapter 4: Living Arrangements**

"What's the commotion about?" A woman's voice asked in the other room. She was blocked from my view due to the giants that were leaning against the doorway. I was still sitting in the kitchen with Claire and Quil. Only now our number had grown to include Embry, Seth (who turned out to be the younger looking one) Seth's wife, Bethany, and their brown-eyed daughter, Lily-Rose. Jake hadn't returned after the pack's little pow-wow.

"Aunt Emily's up!" Claire chimed._ Emily_, I thought, the name sounded so familiar.

A sea of bodies parted as the alpha led the woman into the kitchen, her stomach swollen with evident pregnancy. Her crow-black hair was cut just below her chin and her almond-shaped eyes were full of kindness.

Her face, which obviously had once been flawlessly beautiful, was scarred by three long red lines on the right side. That was when Jake's warning clicked, she was Sam's wife, something else clicked too, a story I hadn't heard in a long time.

"Hello," she said warmly. "I'm Emily, and you must be Camryn."

"Yes ma'am." I replied politely, remembering Jasper's attempts at southern etiquette lessons. Her compassion reminded me so much of Esme, making my heart ache. She was just as Bella had described her.

She looked me over before turning to her husband, "Where is she staying?"

"We were thinking about Billy's, he has a few extra rooms, and Jacob will be there to watch her." Sam replied.

"Nonsense. She'd kill herself by the end of the week. Any guest of ours will not be tortured by those two grumpy men. Anyway, I don't think her family would approve of a teenager alone with two significantly older men." She retorted, hands supporting her back.

"Emily," Sam nearly groaned. Her difficult nature was obviously something he had to deal with often.

"Don't '_Emily'_ me. She'll stay with us, I'm sure Claire won't mind. Would you, dear?" She said decidedly, cutting him off.

"Nope," Claire said happily, "that was just my thinking."

"Good, now that that's settled. I'm going to grab myself some Raisinets. That's what I came out here for in the first place." She said, waddling past Sam towards a far cabinet.

"I told you to call me if you needed anything. You shouldn't be on your feet." Sam said, following close behind her.

Emily shot him a look of annoyance before stretching her arm, trying to reach one of the higher shelves. Sam sighed before reaching over her head to grab the desired Raisinet box.

"Embry, Seth, go get her things from the car." Emily ordered after grabbing the Raisinet box from her husband's hand.

"Sorry Emily, but we're due for patrol duty about now." Embry replied standing and stretching his arms into the air.

"I'll do it." Quil volunteered.

"Great. Paul can help you. Where is Paul anyways? Oh, never mind. He had a long night. I'll get Brady." She said, waddling to the doorway to survey the other room. She muttered to herself as she walked through the doorway. Watch out everyone, this was a woman on a mission.

"Brady, go help with Camryn's bags." Emily ordered. "What are you two doing over there?"

"Nothing." Two young boys chimed simultaneously. I could hear papers being rustled around in the boys' obvious rush to hide whatever they had been doing.

"ETHAN JOHN ULEY! Were you gambling again?!" Emily shrilled after only a few short moments. Objections could be heard in response. "And David Alexander Geyer! I would have thought you would know better. What will your parents think?"

Brady, one of the younger werewolves, strode into the room, shaking his head and laughing. His hair had more wave to it than the others did. "God, those kids are terrible at coming up with excuses. I mean, seriously, I've had my moments, but 'being possessed by the devil', sheesh."

"Hey, that's my kid you're talking about." Sam said with mock anger.

"SAM! Come handle your son! I'm going back to bed!" Emily called, her frustration evident.

Sam sighed and ran a hand through his hair before shoving past Brady into the other room. The guys continued to laugh.

"Daddy? What's gambling?" Lily-Rose asked, tugging on Seth's arm. Seth immediately stopped laughing. The others' laughter only increased. I just smiled, not really used to the hubbub of a large extended family.

"Come on honey, it's time for your nap." Bethany, Seth's curvy young wife, said. rolling her eyes at the laughing men, and plucking her daughter from Seth's lap.

"You three would understand if you had children." Seth grumbled, before getting up and following his wife.

"No chance of that happening anytime soon. _Unless_ Claire changes her mind." Quil said, turning a meaningful glance to her.

"_Please_!" Claire huffed, although she was unable to hide the smile that appeared on her face. Quil pulled her into his lap and nuzzled her neck. All this public display of affection was starting to become unnerving.

"Come on, Camryn, I'll show you our room." She said, escaping from her place on Quil's lap.

I gratefully followed her out of the kitchen. "At least you have someone." I heard Embry grumble to Quil as we left.

"Lucky bastard." Brady added.

Claire quickly grasped my hand. I thought it unnecessary at first. Until I got a good view of the living room. It looked like some Animal Planet show I had seen, of animals running wild, fighting for their territory.

Two young boys wrestled near the doorway, a little girl shrieked as she was chased by a boy holding a dirty tissue. All the adults were crowded around the television set, watching some sort of sporting event. She weaved expertly through the chaos, and down a hallway. I knew I would have been lost in the unfamiliar mayhem of the house without her maneuvering.

"Here we are!" she said, pushing open one of the white doors. The room was cramped, yet welcoming, with two twin beds pressed against opposing walls. An antique dressing table sat between them, and a bookshelf with a decent sized stereo on top was at the end of one of the beds. A closet door was at the end of the other. The walls were painted a bold orange, but were covered by posters of various music artists on one side. The other wall had been left bare.

Only one thing seemed out of place. A body was stretched across the space between the two beds, feet resting on Claire's bed and the rest of it laying under a sleeping bag on what I assumed would be my bed. Claire switched on the lights and just sighed.

"Sorry about him, he does this sometimes whenever he's out late. His name is Paul, by the way. Just work around him, there's no point in trying to waking him up. He's not very responsive when he's asleep."

She proceeded to enter the room and stepped over the human barrier to get to her vanity. She started moving her clothes around. It took me a minute to realize what she was up to.

"Oh! No, no, don't worry about that, I don't know how long I'll be here anyway." I said hurriedly. I hated to inconvenience her like this.

"I used to share a room with my older sister, but she went off to college last year. So I'm used to sharing space, don't worry about it. You're free to do whatever you want to your side of the room." Claire explained, waving her hand towards the empty left side.

"Do your parents live here too?" I asked curiously, trying to piece together this extended family.

"No, they went off to London a few years ago. My dad got this great job offer there. They gave us the option of going with them or staying with Aunt Emily and Uncle Sam. Ruth, wanted to stay, of course, but only because she had just started dating Tony Newton. _That_ didn't end well. Anyway, I decided to stay here too. Jasmine was the only one who went with them." Claire told me as she moved to clear space in the closet.

"I take it Ruth and Jasmine are your sisters." I said as I looked through her book selection.

"Yeah. Ruth's the older one, as you've probably gathered, and Jasmine is younger, she just turned eight." She said. "Do you have any siblings?" She asked as she shut the closet door and turned to face me.

"No, I'm an only child." I responded, busying myself with the back of a mystery novel. It was your typical murder mystery, with the young damsel in distress, the conniving boyfriend, the jealous ex, and the infamous drug lord.

"Can I ask you a question?" She asked casually, sitting on her bed to face me. She seemed to be completely ignoring the two large feet that sat in front of her.

"Sure." I responded warily. I didn't like her sudden switch on me; I liked it better when we were just getting to know each other.

"How did you become part of that vampire clan?" she finally asked.

"I was orphaned and they took me in. Nothing too complicated." I responded, moving to pick up another book, making a point to avoid her inquisitive gaze.

"How old were you?" She continued, still using a slower wary tone. "If you don't mind me asking."

"Four." Just then there was a knock on the door. Thank god. This was one conversation I was glad to avoid.

"Come in!" Claire called, swinging her feet to the floor. The door opened to reveal Quil and Brady. Quil held the smaller duffle bag, while Brady was hefting my overstuffed suitcase. I got up and reached out for the duffle, which contained Bella's books, and a few other personal items.

"Just put it on the bed." Claire said indicating the empty spot on the bed where Paul wasn't.

"I don't think I will ever understand why girls have to pack so much." Brady complained as he flung my suitcase, making the bed springs creak.

"Don't plan on doing anything important tomorrow afternoon. Sam's called another mandatory meeting and he wants Camryn to attend." Quil said, wrapping his arms around Claire.

"How long do you think you're going to stay anyway?" Brady asked from his relaxed position against the door frame, he looked at me with immense curiosity. A little _too_ friendly, in my opinion.

Quil let out a low growl, but Brady didn't seem to hear and continued to look at me quizzically.

"Until they decide that it's safe." I replied, cautiously stepping over Paul's legs to get to my suitcase.

"Safe? Safe from what?" He asked. I carefully removed my family photo from the top and placed it on the side of the dressing table that Claire had cleared for me.

"Yes, safe," This wasn't a very difficult concept to grasp. I guess some werewolves weren't as smart as others, "from the Volturi, mainly."

Brady nearly choked, and Quil stared, slack- jawed. They had heard of them. Good. That would mean one less thing for me to explain.

"The Volturi? Like the large vampire clan in Italy?" Quil stuttered.

"Yes. The human-chomping kind." I responded very seriously. Claire gasped.

"We need to go. _Now_. The others need to hear this." Quil immediately said, his voice returning to its confident tone.

"Why? Sam and Jake should already know." I responded, not understanding his sudden urgency.

"_What_?" Brady gaped, bolting into a rigid posture. "How could they already know?"

"The letter, of course. Do you really think they would have let me stay if this was just some sort of educational experience?"

This was just way too obvious for them not to see, or understand. Although they did lack the talents my family possessed, it was still no excuse.

"You've read the letter?" Quil asked, his eyebrows furrowed with concern and urgency.

"But Jake said you didn't know what it said." Brady pointed out, trying to reason my greater knowledge.

"No, I haven't read it. I do know the situation, though. I got Alice to tell me the gist of it before the plane even landed in Seattle." I replied. "I'm not a complete idiot. You really think I would come here without getting a good reason."

I stepped over Paul's legs again to hang up a few summer dresses Alice had bought for me. It was only mid-February. God, how long did she think I was going to be here?

"Grmpf." I turned at the noise to see the mass that was Paul shift around, making both beds squeak with his huge frame.

"Looks like Paul's waking up." Quil observed. Both he and Brady had visibly relaxed. "He is going to damn us all to hell for not waking him up when he finds out he slept through all of this." He explained, chuckling.

Claire smacked his arm, "Language." She warned.

"Sorry." He mumbled.

"Jesus, what does a guy have to do to find a quiet place to sleep?" Paul complained as he struggled to emerge from the mass of blankets.

Paul looked very similar to the others, except that his dark onyx hair was mussed from sleep, and he was shirtless, showing off his defined muscles. Not that the others didn't have their shirts off before either, but you have to understand that this was in a completely different context.

He stretched and yawned, "What's going on anyway? I woke up earlier and heard what sounded like the whole pack. Did I miss something?" He asked, looking at Quil, who stood almost exactly in front of him.

"No new trails, but boy did you pick a bad day to miss morning patrol." Quil responded, obviously reveling in the fact that he knew more than Paul.

"Why? What happened?" Paul asked, leaning up, immediately stoked.

"More like_ who_ happened." Brady replied, nodding his head in my direction.

Paul looked confused at first before turning his eyes to me. I was still standing in the closet doorway, observing the once sleeping werewolf.

"Paul this is Camryn, Camryn this is Paul." Claire said introducing us.

I looked from Claire to Paul. He was staring more intently than I expected. His dark eyes were practically penetrating my soul and he seemed to be breathing more heavily than before. I was entranced. _Terrified_, but entranced. I couldn't look away.

The room was silent, until I heard a clear, low exclamation of "oh, fuck" from Quil, followed by a quick smack, which I assumed came from Claire.


	5. Chapter 5: Reaction

_Authors note: Just so that everyone knows, I have revised a lot about this story so if you were already a fan you might want to go back and reread, if not then I hope you enjoy! I would like to officially thank my beta, _**R****ue.writes**_, for helping me with my writing. Everyone should go check out her work!_

* * *

**Chapter 5: Reaction**

I just sat there. Four very concerned women stared at me. Waiting for some sort of reaction. I think they would have been happy even if I just stood up and puked all over them, right then and there. They just wanted some kind of reaction. I _wanted_ to give them one. I _wanted_ to jump up and run out of that cheerful, robin egg blue door screaming my head off. But my mind and body were in a jumble, both too confused to work together successfully. So instead, I just sat there.

"Camryn? Honey? I know this is a shock. If you need anything at all just ask. We can sit here all night long if that's what it takes." Emily's worried, motherly voice broke through the haze and into the epitome of shock that was at this moment in time, me, Camryn Vera Cullen.

"What do you need? Water? Tissues? Soup?" Bethany suggested.

"Ibuprofen?" Kim almost begged, adding to their list of desperation. I still just sat, even though my stomach growled at the idea of soup.

"What she needs is a bit of fresh air and time to process." Claire stated, standing abruptly from her stool. She walked over to the door of the office/ soon-to-be-nursery and had to push to get it opened. Grunts could be heard as a few eavesdroppers were shoved into the wall and into each other.

Questions seemed to explode from their mouths. From both the other wolves and from Paul.

"What'd she say?"

"Is she going to be okay?"

"Can I see her?"

I could tell a lot more were about to come, but Claire quickly shushed them with a sharp glare.

"I'm taking Camryn to get some fresh air. She needs some time to think, so stay away unless you want to make things worse." She declared to the spies. She paused for a moment. "That means to go away. Right now. We need to get to the door without being bothered."

"Yeah guys, scatter!" Quil ordered, finally jumping to help Claire. His Claire. This was still so _weird_. There was a bunch of quick jostling movement and Claire shut the door. She walked over to where I sat on the office chair and offered me her hand.

It took me a moment but I finally gained the ability to lift my hand to hers and stand. "Don't worry, we'll stay near the house," Claire assured the other women. She peeked out the door before walking off into the hall. I followed, still amazed with my ability to move.

Before I knew it, we were standing at the edge of the forest. It took a moment, but the fresh, cold, night air seemed to trigger a reaction.

Everything seemed to come in a wave. My thoughts were just words—complete sentences were beyond my comprehension level at the moment.

_Werewolf. Imprint. True love. Obsessive love. True obsessive love. Lasts forever. Not planned. Forever. Forever. Forever… _

I was breathing rapidly. I started to pace. '

_Not on purpose. Really nice guy. A bit temperamental, but an overall nice guy. Forever. Forever. Forever. Love. Imprint. Forever…_

Something didn't make sense, there had to be something I was overlooking.

I stopped dead in my tracks, my eyes widened, my heart pounded in my chest, and now I truly started to hyperventilate. I thought I heard Claire's voice asking me something, but I ignored her.

_My family. Carlisle. Esme. Rose. Emmett. Jasper. Alice. Edward. Bella. Vampires. Forever. Forever. Forever. Werewolves. Vampires. Enemies. Forever. Forever. Forever. My family. Gone. Forever. _

Everything started to blur and the ground seemed to be getting closer.

_Forever. Forever. Forever. _

A wolf howled somewhere. Then everything went black.

I dreamed about fire. Really hot fire. But what fire isn't hot? I was in our house in Georgia, the most recent place I had been with all of my family. It was one of those old plantation houses, like the one from _Gone with the Wind_. I was just walking around when the fire started. It seemed to come out of nowhere consuming everything around me.

I screamed for help. I couldn't find a way to escape. And instead of Emmett or Edward coming to my rescue, it was someone quite different. We got out, but as I looked back into the house I could see them, just standing amidst the flames. I tried to wave for them to get out, to come join me. But instead, they slowly disappeared behind the thick gray smoke. I didn't cry, I didn't scream. I only stood there and watched as their beautiful golden eyes faded away.

I slowly gained conscious and realized, much to my displeasure, that I _was_ hot, which is not really something you want to feel after a dream like mine. I could feel the weight of heavy blankets on top of me. But the oddest thing was that my right hand felt like the hottest part of my body and it wasn't even under the gynormous heap.

I started squirming, trying with great effort to kick the blankets off of my body. I tried to use my hands too, but my right one, which was stretched across my body, appeared to be stuck. I finally resorted to opening my eyes to find out what the problem was. The room wasn't lit up with light like I had expected. Only a dim glow emanated from the far corner of Claire's room. I assumed it was a night light.

I shoved myself into a more upright position with my left hand when I discovered what the problem was.

Paul.

I had shoved the memory of the imprinting business to the back of my head, hoping to avoid my apparently unavoidable fate a little while longer. I was stubbornly still holding on to my goal, as impossible as it was now.

Paul had a firm, yet gentle, hold of my right hand, explaining the heat. His shoulders slumped and his head was lolled to the side. I saw that Claire wasn't in her bed, though the blankets appeared to have recently been slept in.

I studied Paul in his unconscious state. He had on a white t-shirt, with the sleeves appearing to have been ripped completely off. His tanned arms visible, along with his muscled biceps. At least the guy that I was apparently _destined_ for was good looking, although nowhere close to what he would have looked like as a vampire.

I would like to say that his beautiful, rugged face was peaceful looking but, it wasn't. Instead, his eyebrows were all scrunched together and the corners of his mouth were turned down in a slight frown, making him look...worried? Yes, worried, that was it.

I shifted around again, moving the mountain of blankets as far away from my body as I could get them. That's when I noticed that my clothes had changed from what I remembered. I was now wearing a white camisole and a pair of plaid boxer shorts. I was eyeing my attire when I felt my hand move. And it wasn't the one I had control over. I looked up quickly, meeting a pair of worried, chocolate brown eyes. We sat there, staring into each other's eyes for a moment, only this time it was just awkward.

"Are you alright?" Paul asked.

"Ummm...," This was weird, just a little too weird. A werewolf falls in love with me the day I arrive at an obscure reservation for my own protection. What are the chances? But seriously, what kind of world _did_ this to a seventeen year old girl, especially one with dreams of becoming a vampire? A cruel, cruel world apparently.

"Oh, are you hot?" He finally asked, noticing the blankets. His eyes slowly drifted from the blankets, to my legs, and then back up to my face. His eyes were intense and gentle all at the same time. I didn't like this; it was uncharted territory.

I yanked my hand out of his, and brought the blankets back over my body. "No, I'm cold," I replied rather rudely. He looked at me with a wounded expression, but he also was probably noticing the fact that my face was flushed, from the heat or the situation I'm not exactly sure.

"You don't like me, do you?" He asked, clearly confused by this revelation of his.

"Not really. No." I replied bluntly. His face fell a bit more. Wounded puppy much?

"I don't understand." He replied.

"What's there to understand?" I asked. I don't know why I was so irritated.

"It's just that…when it happened for all the others, they…the girls I mean…well, they liked it a lot more, I guess. Especially with Jared and Kim. And even when Quil told Claire, everything seemed to go great." He said, looking down at his hands.

I sighed, immensely confused by _everything_ that I was feeling, everything that was happening to my life.

"It's not that…" I began pausing, looking down as I twisted the sheets in my hands, "It's not that I don't like _you_, exactly. It's just that I don't…I don't know how I feel about all of this. I mean, I only just arrived yesterday. And then _you_ happened."

He didn't answer right away, and I began to get even more nervous. I ventured to look up, prepared to meet his downcast eyes, but instead he had a weird grin on his face. His eyes glinted with a hint of mischief. I couldn't help but give him a little smile of my own, but I remained quizzical.

"What?"

"You pretty much just said that you liked me." He replied, the grin still plastered on his face.

I looked at him for a second, "You can take it however you want, I guess. But I never said that I liked you. Just that I don't _not_ like you." I clarified, leaning back onto the pillows.

"Isn't that the same thing?" He asked.

"I guess we'll just have to wait and see." I replied, shrugging my shoulders.


	6. Chapter 6: The Matter of Age

**Chapter 6:**

**The Matter of Age**

"Are you sure about this? I feel like we're doing something illegal." I whispered to Paul, who was leading me to the kitchen, his hand wrapped around mine.

"Are you always such a goody-two-shoes?" He whispered back, rolling his eyes in the process. "Anyways, we're only raiding the fridge. I do it all the time."

"Are you always such a rebel?" I asked, already beginning to understand how deeply that stereotype suited him. "Besides, I just think it's kind of rude to just steal food out of a house that's not yours. If you helped pay for it, on the other hand, that would be a completely different matter."

"I do...kind of." He mumbled sheepishly.

We tiptoed into the kitchen and over to the refrigerator. He still didn't let go of my hand as he opened the door and started to rummage around. "Wow, Emily needs to go shopping. There's nothing in here." He muttered as he moved aside large casserole dishes and plates of leftover fried chicken.

"You call that _nothing_?" I asked him, dumbfounded.

He looked up at me, smiling. "Are you kidding? This is like half of what I eat at any given meal."

"Really?" I couldn't believe anyone could eat that much without exploding or something.

"Yeah. What do you want? The leftover lasagna or this old stew stuff?" He asked.

"Umm...the lasagna." I answered, eyeing the stew stuff, not really sure if it was actually supposed to be stew or not. Well, it was _his_ stomach, and taste-buds for that matter.

"Good choice." He took out both containers in one giant hand and set them on the counter. He still didn't let go of my hand as he opened the container's lids and placed one of them in the microwave. "So, how old are you exactly?"

"Seventeen. How old are you?"

"How much longer until your eighteen?" He questioned, seeming to be very concerned about this fact. He completely ignored what I had just asked.

"Next month. March sixteenth to be exact." I answered. He eased up a little, but remained tense. "Why?" I asked. "How old are you?" His grip was a little tighter, like he was worried I was going to yank my hand away again.

"Can't a guy be curious?" He asked rhetorically. He was clearly avoiding the question.

"But how old are you?" I asked for the umpteenth time.

He let out an audible sigh and looked into my eyes. "How old do you think I am?"

I looked at him, assessing. He was young looking, I decided. He was no senior in high school, but still young.

"Twenty?" He shook his head. "Twenty-two? Twenty-five?" I asked, as he kept shaking his head no. "You can't be close to thirty?"

He looked nervous. "I give up! How old are you?" He didn't answer for a long moment.

"Thirty-one." He replied quietly. The microwave beeper went off, but we both ignored it.

"Thirty-one! You're thirty-one!?" I tugged my hand out of his, stumbling backwards, as I attempted to grasp this unbelievable truth.

"Camryn? It's not that big a deal." Paul added quickly. "I mean...look at Quil and Claire. And you're even older than her." He looked hurt.

"Then why do you look so young? Is this some sort of joke?" My voice was getting louder.

"No, it's not a joke. As a werewolf we don't age like we normally would. I've looked the same since I was sixteen years old, and I will always look like this until I give up being a werewolf."

He paused and looked at his feet. "Even though no one has really figured out how to do that yet. Anyway, does it really matter? You lived with vampires for god's sake! They're _hundreds_ of years old. Compared to them, thirty-one is nothing."

"But that's something completely different. You're _old_!" I practically yelled, even more confused than before. Paul went from hurt to an angry in a matter of seconds.

"How is it different? How is it that those _bloodsuckers_ can get away with being hundreds of years old but _I_ can't? Huh?" His was very close to shouting at me now. I was shaking.

"Don't call my family that! It's just different, okay? At least they stay that way forever! No one _knows_ that they've lived that long. But with you, it would be like being back in the freaking middle ages!" I screamed back.

Geez, could this boy—_man_, I mentally corrected myself—really get my temper going.

"Why can't I call them bloodsuckers?" Paul demanded. "That's what they are aren't they? If you love them so much, why don't you just go off and marry one of them?" He was shaking now too. I would have been scared if I wasn't too busy being completely pissed off.

"Well, I can't exactly do that now, can I? If I leave, there is no telling what you'd do to yourself—or so I was told—and I don't really want to have that on my conscience for all of eternity!"

He seemed to get angrier at my words, but he didn't respond, so we both stood there breathing like angry bulls ready to charge.

"What's going on in here?" A loud voice demanded. "It's four o'clock in the morning. Paul?"

I spun around to meet the alert, confused eyes of Sam, Quil, and Jake. Jake and Sam looked as if they had been up for a while, but Quil must have just rolled out of bed.

"Nothing." I automatically replied, not wanting to cause anymore inconveniences for them, for Claire and Emily's sake.

"Nothing?" Paul huffed angrily. "_She _thinks I'm _old_!"

I spun back around to glare at him. Fine. If that was the way he wanted to play it.

"Really?" I replied, sounding slightly hysterical. "You_ really_ think that I'm _over_reacting about you being _thirty-one_, when I'm only _seventeen_? I mean, _seriously_? And at least vampires have manners and don't go screaming at people just because they disagree about something. I'm _sorry_ that I'm not all smiles about all of these little _surprises_ you people keep springing on me, but they're not exactly what a girl dreams up when someone says the words 'true love'."

I took a deep breath. "Now if you will _excuse_ me, I'm going back to bed!"

My outburst seemed to have shocked Paul, as well as everyone else, but I was too annoyed to care. I walked quickly out of the kitchen and back to Claire's room. She still wasn't around. The room hadn't changed any from when Paul and I had left it. I curled up on the bed and squeezed my eyes shut.

"Camryn?" Paul asked hesitantly from the doorway. Ugh.

"What?" I snapped, rubbing my temples. I still didn't open my eyes, willing him to just take a hint and leave me alone.

"I'm," he began, he sounded frustrated. "I'm...I'm..."

I sat up and looked right at him, "You're _what_?"

"I'm sorry, alright?" He blurted out, still frustrated. But I realized that he seemed to be pleading with me. I was stunned.

I had never known anyone to plead with me, or really fight with me for that matter. My family was always too, I don't know, vampire-ish. I had always been the one to plead, the one to cry, and the one to raise her voice. So this was a new sensation.

"What do you want from me?" I whispered, my voice was wobbly, tears threatening to spill over. The heat of his arms was around me within the second.

"I want you to be happy, even if that means that you never want to see me again." He whispered, his lips pressed against the top of my head.

That's when it really hit me, what being his imprint meant to him. That he would do anything for me, anything, even if it meant forfeiting his own happiness. The rebel werewolf and the stubborn human. I pressed my face into his chest and began to cry. His arms pulled me closer into him until I felt like I was being smothered in the heat. And, for the first time since I was four, I cried. I really cried.


	7. Chapter 7: The Art of Avoidance

**Chapter Seven**

**The Art of Avoidance**

"You ready to go?" Claire asked, just as I finished slipping on my shoes. It was Monday, five days after I had arrived, and my first day attending the reservation's tribal high school.

"Yeah, I just have to grab my bag." I replied, yanking my messenger bag from underneath a pile of Claire's clothes. This girl was lucky that I wasn't some sort of neat freak—I'd be dead already if I was.

"Good, me too. We can grab a bagel or something on our way out." We started down the hall and I hastily threw my hair into a ponytail.

"Claire! Camryn! You're going to be late!" Emily called from the kitchen.

Claire turned her head to roll her eyes, "We have like thirty minutes." She confided conspiratorially.

Emily was sitting in a chair with her feet propped up, watching Daniel, her youngest son, and Kristin, Kim's daughter, finish their cereal. "Better hurry girls, the guys are waiting outside."

Immediately, my heart started beating faster and my hands got all clammy. "Guys? I thought it was just Quil driving us." I asked nervously.

Ever since I had drenched Paul's shirt with my tears, I had made it a point of avoiding him as much as I could, which, believe me, is probably one of the hardest things I've ever had to do in my life. It wasn't that I was unappreciative of what he had done, or of what he said, or of what he said he would do, or of the way I felt when he held me in his warm, protective arms, or the way my heart started beating faster every time he entered a room, or of... Anyways, the fact of the matter was that I was damn scared, not that I would have admitted that to anyone. I had a hard enough coming to terms with it when it was only in my own head.

"Oh, didn't Paul tell you?" She asked, clearly confused. After finding out that Paul and I had talked, and finding him in the bed with me (I fell asleep, so rest assured that nothing happened) that one morning, she just assumed that we were just the perfect couple. Please! Don't make me puke.

"No. I don't believe he mentioned it." I replied, doing my very best to keep my voice controlled. Claire glanced at me nervously.

"Oh, well, he insisted on driving you. Claire has all these after school activities, so Paul will pick you up too." She turned to where Daniel was threatening to fling food at Kristin. "Stop playing with your food!" Ah, young love. A car honked outside and we turned to go. It looked as if I was stuck. "Bye girls!"

"Bye!" Both of us called back as Claire closed the door. The skies were gray, with rain threatening. Go figure.

"I'm so sorry, Cam! I had no idea!" Claire apologized, throwing her hands halfway up in the air.

"What? Oh, that. Don't worry about it." I replied, snapping out of my thoughts and attempting to look relaxed.

"I can get Quil to say something to him, if you want." She suggested.

"No, I can handle him." I replied so that only she could hear. We had reached the cars and my heart automatically started to beat faster. Paul leaned over and opened the passenger door for me.

I wished that what I had said to assure Claire had been true, but I was too confused to handle anything to do with Paul at this point. There were too many emotions swimming around in me to make sense of any of it. Paul was sweet and he supposedly loved me, but how could I let just one guy change my goals in life. I had lived with only one clear visual of my future, that I would one day be a vampire, and then one cute guy comes along and professes his undying devotion and I'm supposed to just be okay with that. I mean what kind of girl would that make me? I was not going to let some silly teenage crush turn my life into something that wouldn't fit in with what I had planned for myself.

And so no matter how many times my hormones—yes I am blaming my irrational feelings on them—tried to trick me into thinking that I truly liked Paul, I was not going to give in. Which is what ended up becoming what I called the art of avoidance, and I must say that I have become pretty good at it, if I do say so myself.

"Good morning." He greeted me with one of his wide smiles. I inhaled, trying to keep my composure, and slid into the seat next to him, concentrating on not melting.

"Morning." I replied. Inhale. Exhale. Inhale. Exhale. Stupid hormones.

"Sorry for surprising you like this, but I knew you would find a way to avoid me if I told you." Paul said after we got on the road. My breath caught. He knew I was avoiding him. He laughed at my expression. "You're not as subtle as you think you are. I notice everything."

"Everything?" I asked, doubtful, but my curiosity getting the better of me.

"_Everything._" He replied, looking particularly smug. "You move around a _lot _when you sleep. You twist your hands together when you're nervous. You don't like to use the hairbands with the metal pieces on them. And you don't really like spicy food."

"All right! I believe you!" I surrendered, trying to keep the smile off my face. "You have successfully established yourself as a certified stalker."

"Oh," he said, his face falling a bit. "That's not really what I was going for."

"Clearly." I stated, turning my head to hide my smile. We turned into the school parking lot, getting a few curious glances in our direction. I lifted my bag off of the car floor.

"Hey, do you want to skip?" Paul asked, picking up my free hand. He ran his fingertips over the lines of my palm. The heat of his hand sent jolts of electricity through my body. Stupid, stupid hormones.

"On my first day?" I asked, my breathing heavier. He let go of my hand and I fought to regain normal sinus rhythm.

"Point taken. Well, I'll meet you here after school then." He replied, his mouth lifting into a full-fledged smile.

"Okay," I said getting out of the car. His swift change in mood worried me, but I was too nervous about my first day to focus on it too much.

"Oh, wait!" Paul called, rolling down the window.

"What?" I asked, leaning back towards the car so that I could hear him better.

"Your new last name is Cullet." He said, before starting to roll up the window.

"Wait." I called back, completely confused. "Why do I have to change my name?"

"I think that would be kind of obvious." I stared blankly at him. "Your real last name has never really been trusted on the rez, or at least the ones connected with it. So just use Cullet, okay?"

"Ummm, all right." I replied, only it sounded more like a question. Questions were running through my head. Why did they change my name? And for god's sake, why give me one that rhymed with mullet?

"Camryn! Over here!" Claire called from one of the picnic tables. I pushed my current name problem from my head, and brought my focus back to the present. Paul waved goodbye and sped out of the parking lot. I watched him go before I walked over to where Claire was sitting.

Two others sat with her, one boy and one girl. The boy had a blue hoodie pulled over his light brown hair. He kept nodding his head—at first I thought he had some weird neck spasm—and I realized he was moving to a beat. The girl, on the other hand, was moving her mouth nonstop, hand gestures and all. Claire appeared to be paying close attention.

"Guys, this is Camryn. She just moved here from Georgia." Claire smiled as she introduced me to her friends. The boy grunted a hello and the girl gave a small wave. "And this is Anna and Wes." She indicated to each of them.

"Anyway, as I was saying, Zach broke up with Krista to go out with _Melissa_." Anna continued enthusiastically. Claire didn't really respond and Wes continued to nod his head. "Don't you see? Melissa was Krista's best friend!"

"Oh! I see! But wait. What does Kevin have to do with any of this?" Claire asked. I could tell she was just being a good friend, not really caring who was dating who.

"Weren't you listening? Kevin is the college guy that Haley went to see this weekend." Anna huffed. The bell rang. Thank God! "Bye Claire! See you at lunch! Oh, it was nice meeting you!" she called, running off to meet up with another group of girls. Everyone was heading for class.

"Sorry about her. Once you get past her obsession with high school drama, she really is a cool person. What's your first class again?" Claire said, standing.

"Umm...," I reached into my back pocket and pulled out my schedule. "History with Mr. Harper."

"Have fun with that. I think Wes has that, too. Hey, Wes?" Claire pushed his knees to get his attention. He pulled headphones out of his ears. Oh, that was a relief. I was starting to think he was crazy.

"What? Did the bell ring?" He asked, even though only a few of the students still lingered outside.

"Yeah. Can you show Camryn around today? She has first period with you." Claire hurriedly explained, walking backwards away from us.

"Sure." He replied. Claire waved at me and then hurried off towards a farther building. I waited awkwardly while he gathered his belongings. He was slightly taller than me but struck me as short since I was accustomed to really tall guys. He started to walk off, so I followed. He was definitely a weird one.

We made it through the door just as the last bell rang. Wes went and sat towards the back of the class, exchanging one of those handshake/hug things with a few of the guys in the class. Whenever one of them said anything, they always looked in my direction. I ignored it, however, and walked up to the teacher's desk.

"Excuse me? Mr. Harper?" I asked the elderly man bent over a pile of papers.

"What?" He asked, without looking up.

"I'm Camryn Cul...let." I began remembering the recent change. His head snapped up.

"The new girl. Cullen, did you say?" He immediately recalled, looking at me with great interest. My throat constricted. How did he...?

"It's Cull-_et_." I replied, putting emphasis on the 't' sound. He immediately stopped looking so tense and interested.

"Sorry, my mistake. There used to be a family years ago named Cullen that lived in Forks. So you can probably see why I got confused." He explained, peaking my curiosity. This was interesting. I knew that my family had lived in Washington sometime or another but not so _recently_. Mr. Harper's startled expression alone had started to explain the reason for the name change. "Aren't you staying with the Uley family?" He continued smiling and taking the form I was holding.

"Yes, sir. Do you know them?" I asked, making small talk.

"I taught many of Sam Uley's close friends. He was quite a popular role model for many of them. Still is. May I ask how you are related to them?" He had thought I was talking about the Uley's, but the real question I wanted answered was one I was not privileged to as a Cullet. He handed back the signed form.

"Well, ummmm, I'm...," I struggled for a believable lie. My red hair prevented me from being too closely related. "Not really related, exactly. My mom was one of Emily's close childhood friends and I needed a place to stay while they, my family that is, travelled abroad." He nodded his head, not really listening anymore.

"Well, welcome to La Push. You can take a seat where there is one available. I'll start class momentarily." He smiled, dismissing me.

I wished I could have asked so many more questions. I made a mental note to ask around, and if that didn't work, I would have to take my chances with Paul. Even though that would mean I would have to give up avoiding him. It was a sacrifice I might very well have to make.


	8. Chapter 8: Shades of Green

**Chapter 8**

**Shades of Green**

I couldn't decide whether Mr. Harper was so into what he was teaching that he didn't notice that the majority of his students were sleeping in class, or if he was just past caring.

"Psst!"

I nearly jumped out of my chair. Mr. Harper glanced in my direction and I quickly pretended to be taking notes from the overhead. Once he looked away, however, I turned to glare at the boy next to me. He was definitely a native of the area, with the features of a Native American, tan skin and dark hair.

"What?" I hissed. Some of his friends were watching the exchange.

"I'm Justin and this is Matt, Tripp, and Rod." He said, introducing his little crew. Each of them did the little head-nod thing so characteristic of boys. It was something I have never been able to figure out how to do for the life of me. "So what's your story?"

"My story?" I replied, playing dumb. I was hoping that they would lose interest, but based on experience, the chances were slim.

"Yeah, you know, your name, where you're from, if you have a boyfriend back home?" He answered back with a flirtatious smile. Ick.

"I don't really see how that is any of your business." I replied with a fake smile. Okay, I know I was being unnecessarily mean, but like I have mentioned before, or you may have noticed, human boys just aren't my...type. I'm more of an undead kind of girl.

"Ahh, come on don't be like that. I won't bite." He tried again. I held back a laugh.

"It's not your _bite_ I'm worried about." I replied, turning back to Mr. Harper's _excellent _lecture. I heard someone else laugh from across the room. I turned to see Justin glare over towards a very serious looking Wes.

The bell rang just as Mr. Harper was about to give the class 'the most important report they would ever have to write during their high school career'. I highly doubted that.

I escaped before what's his name and his posse caught up with me. I glanced down at my schedule and headed off towards the other side of the school. Luckily, I only had a class with Rod, who was the only one I could easily recognize due to his multiple piercings, and he didn't acknowledge me. Then I only had to catch glimpses of the others in the hallways.

The rest of the day was dull, like every other school I had been to. I had lunch with Claire, thankfully, and Anna, to my poor ears' dismay. Apparently, Melissa and Krista were talking again, in case you wanted to know.

Claire caught up with me in the hallway. "How was your first day?"

"It was like any other first day, I guess. Everyone was nice though." I replied, shrugging.

"Yeah. School will be school. Anyway, I have to go to tutoring today so we can talk later, 'kay?"

"What do you need tutoring for?" I asked. I was under the impression that she was in the top rankings of her class.

"I'm a math tutor for the middle schoolers." She explained.

"Oh, I see. Well, see you later then." I replied as she hurried down the hallway.

When I walked outside, there was no sign of Paul, so I pulled out my battered copy of _Sense and Sensibility_ and sat with my back against a large totem pole that was just outside the front doors of the school.

"Hi." A voice came from above me. I was startled, but didn't jump. Years of experience, I guess. I looked up to see Wes standing over me. Wow, he had actually spoken. I'd been wondering if he was selectively mute.

"Hi." I greeted back, wondering why he waited until the end of the day to finally speak to me. He'd had plenty of opportunities throughout the day.

"Camryn, right?" He asked, sitting down in the grass beside me.

"Yeah." I said, still befuddled.

"How was your first day?" He asked. I noted the page I was on and closed my book.

"It was okay." I answered.

"What are you reading?" I held up the title for him to see. He nodded. "Haven't read it. Is it any good?"

"_I_ think so." I replied.

"I noticed that you were sitting here for a while. So I was wondering if you needed a ride home?" He asked suddenly.

"Umm...," I looked around. Almost everyone was gone, and still no sign of Paul. I looked at my watch. It read 3:59. I sighed. "If you wouldn't mind. I guess my ride forgot or something." I was disappointed. Here I was, starting to believe that _true_ _love_ crap they were throwing at me.

"Cool. I'm right over there." He said pointing an old brown station wagon. Lovely.

We got up and headed over. That's when it dawned on me, the perfect opportunity to get some clues to my family's past. I slid into the front seat. The first thing Wes did after turning on the car was to switch on his CD player. It was a band I didn't recognize, and definitely _not_ my taste. I held my tongue though.

"Do you know anything about a family that used to live around here? The Cullens, I believe?" I asked casually. He turned the music down.

"There are a lot of old rumors about them. Why do you ask?" He said, turning on the windshield wipers as it started to rain.

I shrugged. "Mr. Harper said something about them after I told him my name, Cullet."

"Oh, well, I think one of them was a doctor in Forks. No one around the Rez trusted him or his family. He and his wife adopted a lot of kids, though. And one of their boys ended up marrying the Police chief's daughter right out of high school. Then the whole lot of them left town." He answered.

"Turn right up here," I told him. "How do you know so much anyway?"

"My dad's a police officer. He works for Police Chief Swan. So he gets to hear all about how Bella, that's his daughter, and her husband are doing." He answered, turning right.

"Why didn't anyone trust them?" I asked, wondering how much the people on the reservation knew.

Wes laughed. "It's actually pretty funny. My grandparents have it in their heads that they were the 'Cold Ones' from the old Quileute legends." He laughed again. "It's all a load of bull if you ask me."

"Yeah, that does sound ridiculous." I replied, faking a laugh.

Wes slammed on his brakes. "Oh, shit!" He screamed. I jerked forward, the seatbelt wrenching painfully against my right shoulder blade.

"What the hell!?" Wes exclaimed, peering out the front window through the rain, which was getting heavier by the second.

I peered out too, my breathing hard. The shape of a man stood only a few feet away. He began walking up to the passenger side of the car. I rolled down my window manually, ignoring Wes' protests and violent language.

"What in god's name do you think you're doing? Were you trying to kill us?" I yelled angrily, my green eyes flashing in anger.

"Get out." Paul replied roughly. He was sopping wet.

"In this weather? You've got to be kidding me. I'll meet you at the Uley's." I answered, starting to roll up the window. He placed his hand on the window, making it so I was unable to roll it up anymore.

"Camryn." He said my name in a strained voice, as if he were trying to control himself. "Get out and I'll take you the rest of the way. My car is over there."

I sighed, knowing that I didn't really have a choice. "Fine," I answered curtly. "Sorry, Wes. Thanks for the ride." I gathered my stuff and slid out of the car. Wes was giving me a weird look.

"Are you sure you'll be all right? He looked kind of angry." Wes said, pointing to where Paul now stood beside his car, which I hadn't seen before.

"I'll be fine, he's just a bit moody." I replied, not really understanding why I was even making excuses for Paul's behavior.

"See you tomorrow!" Wes called pulling away. I hurried over to Paul's car. He was already in and had the door ready for me the moment I reached the passenger side.

"Who is _he_?" Paul asked, pulling out onto the road to drive the rest of the way, the whole half-mile.

"A guy I met at school. He offered me a ride when _someone_ forgot to pick me up." I answered.

"Work ran late," He replied. "What's his name? Do you like him?" He had a more worried tone to his voice now.

"Wes, and yeah I guess I like him all right. He's nice...even though he has a very interesting taste in music." I shrugged.

Paul stayed silent, his hands gripping the steering wheel. "Wait. Are you _jealous_?" I smiled at the thought. I started laughing. He gave me a worried sidelong glance as we pulled up in the gravel driveway.

"What? If this _Wes_ is what makes you happy then go right ahead. I won't stop you." Paul allowed, but it sounded like he meant the exact opposite. I laughed even harder.

"What are you laughing at!?" He asked, frustrated.

"You think I want to go out with Wes? _Wes_?" I answered, wiping a tear from my eye.

"Well, you said you liked him." He ventured, still very much confused by my reaction.

"Well, I _like_ a lot of people. Besides, he's not my type." I explained, shaking my head at the thought of me actually being romantically interested in a human boy.

"Really?" Paul asked with a small smile.

"Don't get any ideas. I still don't not like you." I warned him sternly. He still sat there grinning like an idiot.

A knock on Paul's window brought him back to reality. It was Jared. Instead of waiting for Paul to roll down his window or opening the door he ran back into the house after Paul gave him a grim nod.

"What's going on?" I asked, noting the extreme mood change.

"Well, you know how I said that work ran late?" He asked.

"Yeah. Hold on, you didn't mean the auto shop, did you?" I so hoped I was wrong.

"No." He replied with a sigh.

"Oh my god. What's happened? Is everyone all right?" I asked in a panic.

"Everyone's fine." He assured me, squeezing my hand. "But Sam and Jake want to ask you a few questions. If that's okay with you?"

"What kind of questions?" I asked nervously, my stomach beginning to do flip-flops.

"You don't have to answer any that make you uncomfortable. I promise." He said. "I'll be with you the whole time. They're waiting."

I nodded slowly. "Okay." We got out of the car and instead of going into the house, Paul led me around the side to the old garage. Sam and Jake were waiting.


	9. Chapter 9: Hard Questions

**Chapter 9**

**Hard Questions**

"Paul, I thought we discussed this?" Sam said with a sigh. Paul had pulled up a wooden crate in order to sit next to me. His hand was still grasped firmly around mine.

"I told you I was staying with her no matter what. I have a right to know what's going on. It's not like I won't find out anyway." He replied rather calmly. I wondered vaguely what he meant.

I shifted uncomfortably as all three werewolves stared each other down. Paul was being very...composed, which from what I had seen of his attitude with the pack, was almost like a miraculous event. He was always so competitive and his temper so easily triggered.

"Fine, just don't cause any trouble." Sam gave in. Jake was looking at Paul with an almost awed expression. He shook it off quickly as Sam turned his attention on to me.

"We have a few questions for you." He said.

"What kind of questions?" I gulped.

"About your past." Jake interjected, just as Sam was about to respond. "How you got mixed up with _them_."

"I don't really see why you need to know. How does my past help anything?" I asked defensively, holding his stern gaze. Jake was the first to look away.

"We'd just be a little more comfortable with the situation if we knew and...we're curious about what the Cullens have been up to." Sam replied, sending a glance in Jake's direction.

"So, in other words, you want to know if your secret is safe?" I asked. Sam shrugged sheepishly in response.

"Yes. _I _didn't even know you still existed. They kept a lot from me, apparently. I didn't even know my family had lived here so recently until today." I answered.

"See, I told you she didn't know anything." Paul said defensively. "Can the interrogation be over now?"

"So, they didn't tell you anything about us?" Jake asked, interested.

"Of course they told me about the legends and how they once had a treaty with the werewolves. Not to mention how awful all of you were to deal with." I laughed. "Bella was the only one to stick up for you guys." I reminisced. Jake started at the mention of her name. It perked my curiosity.

"Did any of you know Bella? Before she married Edward I mean?" I asked, my eyes lighting up. I was so close to finding out more about my family.

With a worried look towards a now sullen looking Jake, Sam changed the subject. "You said something about being adopted when you were younger. How did that work exactly?"

I looked quizzically at Jake and Sam for not answering my question. If that was the way they were going to be, then I could definitely be the same

"They adopted me when I was four. There isn't really anything to say other than that." I answered shrugging, glancing down where Paul's hand was still clasped around mine. His hands were incredibly hot. It was a good thing that it wasn't in the middle of summer.

"There's got to be more to it than that." Jake pressed.

"Well, sorry to disappoint." I replied. I was getting irritated. I didn't like to share my personal life with strangers anyway. They wouldn't understand.

"I highly doubt that that's all. Why else would they send you here unless you were in some sort of danger? The information they sent with you wasn't specific, but enough to let us know that you play an important part in all the heightened vampire activity. What are you so afraid of? We're on your side." Jake rebutted. Paul stiffened next to me as Jake's voice grew more accusatory.

"Leave her alone. She doesn't have to answer anything she doesn't want to. Besides, you have all the information you need." Paul interjected, defending me.

"Shut it, Paul. I knew you'd just get in the way. She is important to the stupid bloodsuckers and I want to know why!" Jake's voice was getting louder.

"Stop it." Sam ordered.

"Are you really that concerned about Camryn or the pack, Jake? Or are you just interested in what Bella's been up to lately?" Paul let go of my hand and stood up. Jake mimicked his motion. Both were shaking.

"I said that is enough! Jake, go cool down! Paul, get Camryn out of here! I'll talk to her alone later, when there is less emotional input." Sam said, coming in between the two.

With one last glare at Paul and me, Jake stormed out of the garage. Sam followed, running a hand through his hair as he went. I felt bad for him, having to deal with trying to make a bunch of temperamental werewolves work together without anyone ripping anyone else's head off.

Paul closed his eyes and stayed where he was. "Are you okay?" I asked. He motioned for me to stay away and be quiet. I waited.

"Do you want to take a walk down to the beach?" He finally asked. I nodded.

We were quiet for the first half of the way, both going through things in our heads. Paul was holding my hand, which was becoming somewhat normal to me now.

"Can I ask you a question?" Paul broke the silence.

"Sure, I guess." I replied.

"Why do you get so defensive whenever anyone asks about your past? Is it that _horrible_?" He asked, his voice full of worry and concern.

"It's just not something I like to talk about is all. The Cullens saved my life when they took me in. That's what's important, not what was going on for the first four years of my life. I don't remember much of it anyway. So really, it's like I have never had any other family." I explained.

"Don't you wish you could have known what it was like to have a normal life, with a human family?" He asked, puzzled.

"No, my family has given me more opportunities than someone in a so-called 'normal family' would have been able to. I had everything I needed growing up." I said.

"But what about having a mom, dad, and brothers and sisters? Didn't you miss any of that?"

"They were all everything to me. All of the guys were like my dad, brothers, and uncles rolled into four. Esme and Rosalie were like my two moms, while Bella and Alice were my sisters and aunts. I don't think I missed out on anything."

"You miss them, don't you?" Paul asked gently .

"Yeah, all the time. I haven't been away from any of them for more than a day, so this is kind of a challenge." I sighed, realizing just how much I missed their company and love.

"Do you want to go back, when they call for you? Now that this has happened?" He asked, his voice sad, as if he didn't really know if he wanted to hear the answer. "You don't have to answer if you don't want to, but none of the guys think you'll stay. They think you're too attached to your family."

This was a tough one. I still didn't know how I really felt about this imprinting business, but I couldn't just leave Paul. Not right away, at least. He was becoming _familiar_ to me now. Even though I pretended not to like him all the time, I didn't want to abandon him just yet. I knew what it was like to lose somebody you loved. Let me tell you, it's not a good feeling.

"I don't know anymore." I answered truthfully. "If you had asked me a few days ago I would have said yes right away. But now, I'm not so sure."

"Well, that gives me something to work with then, doesn't it?" Paul gave me a small grin.

Suddenly, my back pocked started to vibrate. I started, surprised by the noise.

"What's that noise?" Paul asked, looking me up and down, trying to find the source of the buzzing.

"My phone," I replied in wonder, plucking out the thin silver rectangle. I flipped it open and looked at the caller ID. My heart skipped a beat. It couldn't be.

"I didn't know you had a cell phone." Paul said, sounding shocked. I shushed him in reply as I pushed to answer button and held it up to my ear.

"Rose?" I asked in an excited voice. "Is it really you?" Paul looked at the phone in shock once realizing who it was. "Rose? Hello?" Paul leaned in closer to listen.

"Rosalie can't come to the phone." A high, reedy voice responded. I gasped. The voice was one that had haunted my dreams since childhood. I broke into a cold sweat. Paul looked at me worriedly. I looked up at him, trying to convey my fear, but knowing that it was impossible to convey _this_ much fear with a simple look. This only made him look even more concerned.

"Where's Rosalie?" I asked in a panic. Paul appeared to comprehend that the caller was not who I was originally led to believe.

I heard the girl's tinkling laughter. "She's being detained at the moment. But if you cooperate, Camille, darling, she won't be harmed." Paul looked at me funny.

"Leave her alone." I did the best I could to sound threatening. Then I realized something.

"That's all up to you, isn't it?" She replied in her cold, silky voice. "You might not remember me so I'll reintroduce myself. I'm Jane." I slammed the phone shut.

I knew her voice and now I knew the name that went along with it. It was a voice I had never wanted to hear again, a person, excuse me a _monster_, that I never wanted to see, while I was stuck being human at least. She was another reason, besides never being abandoned, for my goal of becoming a vampire. Revenge.

"Camryn? Who's Jane?" Paul's voice was urgent and concerned. I found his eyes and held them with mine. Tears were threatening to spill out of my eyes. My hands were balled up into fists, my nails digging into my palms. Paul was rubbing my shoulders as I began to shiver. My past, and in effect, my nightmares, were catching up to me, no matter how far I thought I had distanced myself from them.

"The Volturi. She's part of the Volturi." I responded, trying to hold back my rage. I wanted to scream. Paul pulled me closer. I leaned my head against his chest, my hands gripping the edges of his jacket.

"Why did she call you Camille?" He asked, his manner seriously urgent now.

"That was my name, a long time ago. Jane wouldn't have called me that if they actually had Rose, at least I hope not." I stammered. I was still shaking. I felt Paul kiss the top of my head.

"But they don't know where you are, you're safe." He said, trying to calm me.

I shook my head. "Not necessarily. Most of them have special abilities, like my family, and I think I remember something about one of them being really good at tracking. This is bad Paul. Really bad."

"Come on," Paul said, interrupting my frantic thoughts by lifting me up off the ground and beginning to jog in the direction of the house. "We need to talk to Sam. Don't worry, no Jake this time." Paul assured me. "And I'll be right beside you. You're safe with me."

I would have to answer their questions now. This time my past did play a role in the future of the pack. A very important one. Maybe even one of life and death.


	10. Chapter 10: Answers and Firsts

**Chapter 10**

**Answers and Firsts**

"So what you're saying is that they can track you without having your scent or anything?" Seth asked.

"Yes." I replied. I had already explained everything to Sam and Paul the previous evening. Mostly everything, anyway. I was technically supposed to be at school, but Paul called me in sick. Sam thought that it would be best to fill everyone in without the kids or wives around.

"How did they get your number in the first place?" Quil asked.

"Apparently, my family has been active these past few days. They got their hands on Rosalie's phone, but not Rosalie. I am having a hard time figuring out how _that_ happened, but..." I answered, shrugging my shoulders.

"That's what I can't figure out, how you knew they didn't have her. That _thing_ made it pretty clear that it was up to—" I gave Paul a frightened look, afraid he would give me away. He just gave a nod, as if to say 'don't worry', and continued his question. Luckily, no one was looking at me. "_you_ to cooperate so that they wouldn't harm her."

"I don't know," I lied, shrugging. Paul was looking at me intently. I averted my eyes, knowing he only wanted to confirm that I would give him answers. "Instinct, I guess. But the threat just seemed empty somehow. I just hope I was right."

"I hate to be saying this, but shouldn't we find a way to contact the vamps. I mean if anything does happen, it could be good to have them, like last time." Seth asked cautiously.

"We can handle ourselves. We're fine on our own." Jake was quick to react. His face was hard.

"What do you mean, like last time? You fought with my family before?" I asked.

Jake and Paul glared at Seth. If looks could kill, Seth would have keeled over in an instant.

"Tell me. It's only fair." I ordered stubbornly.

"How much do you know about Bella's past?" Sam asked. Jake and Paul started.

"Sam." Jake said in a hushed, shaky voice. Paul had his eyes squeezed shut and his hands balled into fists on his knees.

"She has a point, it's only fair." Quil spoke up, holding Jake's arm. Jake shook it off.

"All I know is that she was changed willingly. She was Edward's singer." I began slowly.

"Singer?" Embry asked confused.

"The smell of her blood sang to him. That is the only way to explain it, or so I'm told. That's supposed to be extremely rare for vampires, to find their singers. When it happens, it usually ends in the death of the human, because the temptation is so strong. But Edward loved her too much. He kept himself from doing anything he would regret. She used to live around here, didn't she? Her dad was the police chief or something?" I asked eagerly.

"Still is," Was the grunted response. Jake was the one to reply, which surprised everyone. He was shaking.

"What?" I asked.

"Her dad still is the police chief in Forks. Still gets letters from her, I think. She used to hang out around here. Until she _chose_ to go off with that _bastard_." Jake said angrily.

I was quiet for a moment putting the pieces together. "You're the one that gave her that charm. The wooden wolf, aren't you?"

He stared right at me, and I stared back. "What?" His voice was shaky.

I pulled up the long chain around my neck. The one I had hidden underneath my shirt. Bella had given me the charms on a necklace for my sixteenth birthday. She'd said that they got in the way when she ran.

"The wolf charm." I repeated. "She gave them to me, for safekeeping. I always wondered who gave her this charm. She would never give me a straight answer." I looked up at him, but he had looked away, his face cold again. He got up and walked out.

I looked to Paul, confused. His eyes were open now and he didn't look quite as tense. He wrapped his hand around mine, showing me that I didn't do anything wrong. A few of the wolves cleared their throats in the silence. Sam quickly broke the quiet with orders.

"The patrol shifts will be doubled for the next few weeks. Just to make sure that nothing is getting close. Paul, you can be Camryn's guard, on the terms we discussed. Make sure everyone knows where everyone else is at all times. We can't afford any mistakes." Sam wrapped up. We all nodded and grunted—well, they grunted; I couldn't exactly pull off the bass rumble just right—our understanding and the room dispersed.

I went back to my room, hoping to be left alone with my thoughts. But Paul followed closely behind, like I knew he would. I was running from him, because confronting my feelings for him and answering his questions would lead me back to a time I didn't want to revisit. He shut the door behind us. I took a deep breath and decided that it was best to just get it over with.

"I know you have a lot of questions about that phone call, and about my past, but I don't understand a lot of it myself. Who knows, you might hate me once you find out." I hurried to explain.

Paul was silent. He sat down at the edge of the bed. I was pacing now. Everything was building up, there was no going back, I realized. I had kept secrets for so long—they were beginning to eat away at me.

"It wasn't instinct that told me Rose was safe. It was their lack of credible information. She called me Camille, not Camryn." I kept going. Paul sat patiently, revealing no emotion. "Before the Cullen's adopted me I was Camille Whalen. I had three older brothers. Beau, Conner, and Hagan." I sighed, smiling sadly. Remembering. "We were all orphans, living in a temporary home before we were sent away to separate foster care families."

"We were planning on running away. So we could stay together, you know. At least I think that's what we were doing, I was only four. Conner was the mastermind, he was the oldest. Hagan was supposed to go first, then I was to follow closely behind him, then Beau, and then Conner."

"The plan got messed up somehow though. Some people came looking for us, so Conner snuck us out. When we were sneaking behind the garbage cans we heard screaming. We were scared out of our minds, so we started to run. I kept looking back because the last time I had seen Conner, he was still inside."

They were faster than me, so Hagan tried to carry me. He tripped a few times and eventually he just told Beau to run ahead, that we would meet him there. But when we got there, Beau wasn't there. Hagan hid me in an alley way; he told me to wait there until he came back with Beau." I paused.

"But no one came back. I waited for what seemed like hours, but minutes always seem like hours to a four year old. It was dark, cold, and I was alone. I kept hearing noises. So I went back, looking. I was stupid, I should have stayed where I was. I should have dealt with my nightmares instead of looking for more."

"That's when I met Jane. In the dark I thought she was Beau. Something was wrong, I knew the moment I saw her, the moment she laughed. That horrible laugh. She had blood on her lips. That's when I heard Beau. He was screaming, like he was in horrible pain." My voice was cracking with emotion.

I was sitting opposite of Paul, hugging my knees, rocking back and forth. He still hadn't reacted the way I thought he would. The only difference in his calm outward appearance was his hands, which were clenched into tight fists. I couldn't bring myself to look at his face.

"She introduced herself, and started to walk towards me. I was frozen. All I could think about was Beau…his screaming." A few tears fell down my cheeks.

"Everything after that is a blur. The Cullens came and saved me. I was terrified of them too, of course. At first, anyway, so I attempted to get away numerous times."I paused.

"Why did they come after you?" Paul asked quietly, his voice sounded strained.

"The Volturi saw us as assets to their organization, and they decided to go against their own way of things to get to us. And when the Cullens caught wind of their plan, they had to act quickly. The Volturi got sloppy in their haste. I was the only survivor. So over time, for my protection, the Cullens changed my name, kept me in hiding, and adopted me." I finished, wiping away what remained of my tears.

Paul stayed silent. He came over, lifted me up, and cradled me in his lap on my bed. He was the first person I had told. My feelings for him were evident now, whether he realized what telling him this meant or not. In telling him, my goals were beginning to shift as well.

"You're safe with me. I won't let any…_thing_ touch you." He said gruffly, his breath tickling my ear.

I lifted my face up. He stared into my eyes, I into his. He brushed the hair out of my face, his hands gentle. His hand was cupped around my face, making me feel like a doll, his hands were so big.

The next thing I knew, he was kissing me. It surprised me at first, but then I gave into it. For the first time ever, I gave into my feelings, fully and completely. I didn't think about the consequences, how it would affect others. It was just the moment, the present, Paul and me, no one else.

The kiss was gentle and sweet, but passionate and earnest all at the same time. Eventually, my hands found themselves wrapped in his short hair, molding me to him. The fingers of his right hand threaded through my own hair, cradling my head. His other was on the small of my back, pulling me closer.

It was my first kiss and it was much better than I had expected. It was also a _lot_ warmer than I had originally planned.


	11. Chapter 11: Surprise

**Chapter Eleven**

**Surprise**

"So are you doing anything this weekend?" Wes asked from his seat next to me. I was staring at the clock. Time couldn't go fast enough.

Time. Time is a funny thing. One moment it goes too slow, the next too fast. Before Paul entered my life, I was content with the slow and steady pace my life was currently going, but now without the excitement and heated passion I had so recently been introduced to, I wasn't sure I would be able to stand another slow and steady day.

"Camryn?" Wes interrupted my thoughts.

"Huh?" I asked, turning towards him to show that I was at least making an attempt to pay attention to what he had to say.

"I asked if you had any plans for this weekend?" He repeated. He looked at me oddly.

"Oh, nothing in particular." I answered, turning my eyes back to the clock, hoping that the last fifteen minutes had miraculously diminished to just mere seconds.

Paul was picking me up today. I had been taken out of school for the week following the phone call, as a precaution. Without school to keep us apart and Paul's assignment as my body guard we were hardly ever apart. But due to the lack of any action, or any hint of it, Sam decided that I would be put back in school. Needless to say, the past week had been torture.

"Are you feeling alright?" He asked, again breaking through my thoughts.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Why do you ask?" I questioned.

"You looked kind of flushed and you haven't stopped tapping that pencil since class started." He answered. I looked down at my hand and realized that I did indeed have a pencil in my hand, and indeed I was tapping it.

"I'm just tired of sitting in classes all day." I replied, attempting to stop the involuntary tapping.

Paul promised to meet me right after school. He said he had a surprise for me. I didn't care as much about the surprise as much as I cared about just getting back into his arms. I stared at the clock again.

I think Wes might have asked me another question but when I turned to see what he wanted he was turned the other way, talking to someone else. Apparently he had given up. I felt bad for Wes and Claire, who were the only two that really attached themselves to me.

Claire completely understood what I was going through, although she kept her relationship a secret, as I was advised to do. But poor Wes didn't know what to do with me. I was surprised he was even still sticking around.

I jumped up the moment the bell rang. I was ahead of the crowd, thank god. I went through the front doors, and there he was in all his rugged perfection. His normally slightly angry looking face was softened as his mouth turned up in a large smile. I returned it, and quickened my pace.

"Hey, Camryn! Wait up!" I heard Wes call behind me. I slowed down, gave Paul an apologetic look, and turned to see Wes jogging towards me.

"Since you aren't doing anything this weekend, I was wondering if you wanted to go to the bonfire they're having on first beach tomorrow night?" He asked, pausing for a second before adding, "With me."

"Oh, ummm, I don't know." I hesitated, not really understanding the meaning of his last words. I was about to turn him down nicely but I was not-so-nicely interrupted.

"She's busy." Paul spoke from behind me. I jumped in surprise. I hadn't heard him come up. His voice was slightly possessive.

I looked up at him, confused. "What exactly am I doing tomorrow night?" I asked him.

Paul shrugged his shoulders. "Claire needs help babysitting, remember?"

"No, she doesn't." I replied. I didn't like the way he was acting.

He glanced at me in a slightly aggravated way, before turning to glare at Wes threateningly. "She can't make it."

I gawked at him. When did he turn into such a control freak?

"I asked Camryn, not you." Wes replied, attempting to stand taller. I looked nervously between the two. Paul was just barely shaking, but still it was shaking. Not a good sign. Not that I had ever experienced an actual change, I just knew it was bad.

A small crowd had formed around us, although they stood farther off than they would have if the opponent was anyone other than a thirty-one year old man with a reputation for his temper.

Surprisingly, Paul turned to me. "Well?" he asked, pausing as if waiting for my response. I was at a loss at what to do at the moment, but Paul quickly made the choice easy for me. "Tell him you can't go."

I gave Paul a sarcastic smile, before turning to Wes, who was waiting uneasily. "What time?" I asked. Paul started to shake a little bit more. Wes smiled triumphantly, although still looking nervous with Paul still towering over him.

"Seven o'clock. I can pick you up if you want." He answered, eyeing Paul's hulking figure. I shook my head in reply.

"That won't be necessary. I'll meet you there." I replied. Paul stalked off in the direction of the car, slamming the door shut behind him. I winced.

"I better get going." I said, beginning to head for the car. I liked to have some control of my life...but I knew that all Paul wanted to do was take care of me. So I knew my limits of my stubborn teenage-angst like actions.

"Are you sure you don't want to get a ride home from somebody else?" Wes asked. I didn't even bother replying. The moment I closed the door, Paul sped out of the parking lot, jerking around the corners. He drove past the road we needed to turn on in order to get to the Uley's house. I started to protest, but he silenced me with a growl.

I stayed silent and crossed my arms. Finally he turned off on a long gravel driveway, surrounded only by trees. The line of houses had stopped about a half-mile back. A two-story brick house came into view. It had a dark red door and matching shutters. It looked rather new. I wondered where he had taken me, but I was too worried that he would burst into a werewolf the moment I opened my mouth. He stopped a little ways from the house, turning off the car.

"Go inside and wait for me." He ordered in a strained voice. I thought it best to obey him this time, even though I made it clear that I was mad at him. I slid out of the car without a word, slammed the door shut to the best of my ability and walked up to the door.

I turned the knob, praying that it wasn't locked. It clicked open and I walked inside, I turned to see what Paul was going to do. But he had disappeared. The car was empty.

"Great!" I exclaimed to myself. "Nice job leaving me all alone in the middle of nowhere!" I yelled at the trees. I heard a howl nearby. Good. He had heard me.

I clicked the door shut behind me. I was in what looked to be the living room. It was scantily furnished with only a rough looking easy chair, a wooden crate that was being employed as a coffee table, and a small television propped up on an identical crate.

I really wanted to snoop, but I restrained myself, still not sure whose house I was in. I sat down on the easy chair.

A whole hour and a completed math assignment later I finally heard the door open. Paul came through the door. I jumped up to meet him, my anger forgotten. An hour was long enough for me to cool down, and enough to bring on the return of my need to see him. I flung my arms around his shoulders, the best I could anyway, and kissed him. He laughed as he swept me off my feet.

"I take it you've come to your senses?" He asked, carrying me over to the chair and sitting, with me in his lap. I scowled at him.

"No, I'm still mad at you." I replied.

"Then what's with the welcome?" He questioned.

"I missed you and I don't feel like having you run off on me again." I answered. He smiled his beautiful smile. "But don't think you're off the hook." I added sternly.

"Let me guess, we'll discuss it later?" He responded.

I nodded, tracing my finger over his raven black brows. He brought my face down in order to kiss me. The way we were sitting made me slightly taller than him, a fact I put to good use. I kissed him back obviously, loving every minute.

"So…where are we…exactly?" I asked between kisses.

"You mean you haven't figured that out yet?" He asked, smiling against my lips.

"Is it that obvious?" I asked, pulling away to get a good look at him.

"Guess." He ordered, but this time in a playful way. I wrinkled my nose.

"Ummm...Is this...ummmm...," I began, hoping that he would give me something more to go on. "Does it belong to someone in the pack?"

"Yes." He answered in a low voice, moving my hair out of the way and kissing my neck.

"I can't think straight when you do that." I laughed, leaning away. He appeared to pout for a moment, but I successfully ignored his silent pleas. "Does it belong to Embry?" I asked. He shook his head no. And continued to do so as I listed all the other bachelors, since I knew for a fact that this wasn't a family home. I even went as far as to guess Leah, who was just recently engaged to Brad, some distant relative of Collin's.

"Then I give up! Who does it belong to?" I finally surrendered.

"It's mine." He answered. I scolded myself for not guessing that the first time. Still, this was a shock. I had never imagined Paul as a house kind of man, while he was single anyway. He was more of a living-with-his-friends type. As much as he came across as a temperamental loner, he desperately needed loved ones around him.

I stared at him. "Yours?"

"Yes, mine. I started building it after Seth got married. This land belonged to my Dad, and when he died I inherited it." He explained. "Haven't done much to the place after I got all the construction done. I didn't ever need much since I only stayed here once a week."

I looked around the room and nodded. "Yes, it does seem to give off the abandoned bachelor pad kind of vibe. So," I continued, hopping up, "are you going to give me the grand tour?"

He shook his head, smiling, as I danced off towards the right side of the living room, past the staircase, to the far wall, which consisted of two doors. He got up and in about four of his strides was standing directly before me.

"Through here is a bathroom." I peered inside, giving it my approval. He moved to the next door. "Through here is a bedroom or an office space or a bonus room...whatever it needs to be, really."

We looked into the kitchen next, which only had a refrigerator and a microwave for appliances. Paul led me upstairs next. There were two empty bedrooms, a bathroom, and a closet.

"Where do you sleep?" I asked.

"Through here." He said, leading me to the last, and third bedroom. A large king sized mattress lay on the floor. Another of the wooden crates served as the bed side table. A chest of drawers was to the left. The door to the bathroom was next to it, with the closet door next to that.

A mirror was attached to the chest of drawers. Photos were stuck around the edges. I walked over to them. One was of a group of young boys on a beach. It took me a moment to realize that most of the boys were the pack members.

I found Paul towards the back. One of the other boys, who I recognized as Quil, was leaning over, preparing to whack him in the back of the head. He didn't notice because he was busy trying to look serious. I laughed out loud.

I looked over on the other side of the mirror, thinking I would find more pictures of him with the pack or his family. Instead I saw a girl with red hair and green eyes staring back at me. I peered closer, to see that it had been taken outside, when the wind had been blowing.

"Where did you get this?" I asked. Paul was leaning in the doorway, watching me. He came over a stood by me now.

"I took it a few days after you arrived, when I was banned from seeing you. You were outside with Bethany and the kids. I was hiding behind the trees." He paused as I gave him a skeptical look. "Wow. I'm a creep." He realized. I laughed.

"That's okay. I forgive you." I replied.

"Do want to go get something to eat?" He asked, his stomach rumbling. Mine rumbled my reply.

"What are we going to eat?" I remembered that his kitchen was slightly lacking.

"I'll see what I can scrounge up." He answered. I took that as a microwavable TV dinner, which was fine by me.

"Was this the surprise?" I asked.

"Part of it, I guess." He shrugged.

"What else?" I asked as we descended the stairs.

"You're spending the night too, if that's okay with you. I brought some of your things over." He said. I smiled, delighted at the idea of never having to say goodbye, but then eyed him warily, wondering how far he thought he could go. He seemed to read my thoughts. "We can't actually _do_ anything unfortunately. Sam forbade any of us from doing anything with our imprints until after marriage."

"Unfortunately for you, you mean. You've been waiting for a lot longer than I have and I have morals of my own, you know." I teased.

"Do you now?" He asked teasingly back.

"The result of being raised by people hundreds of years old." I laughed. The laugh was half-hearted, as I soon realized that once I was even more permanently attached to Paul, the farther away I drew from my family.

I pushed those unhappy thoughts from my head as Paul lifted me from the ground and carried me over the kitchen threshold.


	12. Chapter 12: Birthday

_A/N: Hello to all! I just wanted to say that I am very pleased with all the support I've been getting from my readers! I'm sorry if it seems as if I have been slow posting new chapters...I just don't don't like to rush. Believe me...you wouldn't like my work if I did. Please keep posting reviews and let me know if you have any questions! I'd be happy to address them!_

_Read and Enjoy!_

**Chapter 12**

**Birthday**

"What is the craziest thing you have ever done?" Paul asked, a smile permanently glued on his face. His eyes were as intense and loving as ever. We were lying on his bed. I was on my back and he lay on his side with his elbow propped up on a pillow. We were playing a game of questions.

"The craziest?" He nodded. I bit my lip in thought. "Let's see...either the time I stole Bella's motorcycle to race this jerk from school, or the time I entered, and won, mind you, a corn dog eating contest when I was seven."

"You stole a _motorcycle_? _You_? I didn't even know you could ride one? And the vamps _let_ you put yourself in danger?" Paul exclaimed.

"I'm not a complete angel, you know. Besides it wasn't really stealing. Alice knew I was going to do it before I did. _And_ she knew I wouldn't even get a scrape, so she let me." I shrugged.

"I must admit, that does make you somewhat of a bad ass. Who was this jerk you were racing anyways?" He said after a moment, accepting that I wasn't intentionally put into a dangerous situation.

"I don't remember his name, but his hobbies included taking advantage of girls, and bragging about his motorcycle. After I rejected him, he turned to mocking me, so I decided to kick his butt the only way I knew I could beat him." I responded, loving the fact that I had shocked him.

"So you won?" He asked. I nodded, smiling ruefully. "What did you mean by 'taking advantage'? Did he do anything to you?" Unconsciously, or maybe not so much, Paul's arm slid around my waist possessively. I didn't miss that his hands were shaking slightly either.

"Nothing other than try to kiss me." I rolled my eyes, squirming until his grip loosened. "You really need to chill out about other guys. Most of them aren't that bad, and I can take care of myself." I informed him. I propped myself up on my elbow so we were face to face.

Paul grumbled something inaudible under his breath. I suspected that it was rude and chose to ignore it.

"Speaking of you calming down about guys, you could have been a bit nicer to Wes today. He was only trying to be nice. Why were you so mean, anyways?"

"I wasn't being mean. Just straightforward." He grumbled, avoiding my gaze.

"Oh, whatever, I saw how you were shaking. What's so bad about him?" I questioned.

He mumbled a reply.

"What? I couldn't hear you." I pressed.

He sighed. "I don't like the way he looks at you, and _then_ he made it sound like you were going out as more than just friends, if you know what I mean. Which is _completely_ out of the question, of course. I thought you didn't like him anyway?"

"I like him as a friend, that's all. And I am pretty sure that's a mutual feeling. He's just being nice to the new girl." I explained, rolling my eyes at him.

"Not from what I saw." He grumbled.

"From what I've seen, you would get upset if a dog looked at me funny. Just try not to overreact all the time, okay? People are going to look at me, and talk to me, and occasionally bump into me. It's a fact of life."

"I just don't like sharing you." He grumbled again.

"But you will try, won't you?" I asked.

"Fine, I'll _try_. But I don't guarantee any immediate results." He tweaked my nose playfully.

"Previous girlfriends." I challenged him.

"What?" He asked.

"You asked a question and now it's my turn. Previous girlfriends, now go." I answered.

He shifted. "Skip."

I scowled. "That's not fair. All questions must be answered. It's the rules."

He sighed and shifted uncomfortably, giving in. "In sixth grade there was this girl named Crystal, then in eighth grade there was Valerie, and Grace. In high school, there was Kayla, Missy, Shea, and Anne Marie."

"You definitely got around, didn't you?" Was the only thing I could think of to say.

He shrugged, avoiding my gaze.

"Did you love any of them?" I asked.

He didn't miss a beat. "No."

"What about, well, did you, you know?" I asked timidly, not really sure if I wanted an answer.

He shifted uncomfortably again. I gulped.

"You did, didn't you? No, never mind, I don't want to know. It doesn't matter anyway." I replied quickly, my face flushing.

"Sorry." He mumbled.

"It's okay." I assured him, even though I was secretly jealous. But letting him know that would just give him more reason to get jealous himself.

"So, what was it like, living with the vamps?" He asked.

His question surprised me. "I thought you didn't like to talk about them?"

"True. But they're a big part of you, which I can't seem to hear enough about." He smiled.

"Well what do you want to know...specifically, I mean?" I asked.

"What is one of your favorite memories?"

I sat reflectively for a while before answering. "My sixth, seventh, eighth, ninth, eleventh, twelfth, fourteenth, and seventeenth birthday's."

Paul looked at me funny. "Why those?"

"Those were the ones that we celebrated with just the family. Banana pancakes in the morning, a picnic lunch, a baseball game, then presents at night, and Chinese takeout for dinner. Alice went all extravagant on the others, with live bands and large crowds. Not really my taste, but I humored her as long as I still got my banana pancakes." I explained.

"Banana pancakes?" Paul asked, an eyebrow raised skeptically.

"You haven't had them before, have you?" I accused.

"Nope." He shook his head.

"Well, you should." I affirmed.

"Your turn."

"What made you build this house, especially since you hardly ever stay here?" I asked.

"When Seth and Bethany got married, they had to stay with Sam and Emily for a long time before they could get a place of their own. They were still fairly young and Bethany just finished school, so they had all that loan business to worry about too. After seeing them struggle, and watching Seth having to deal with not being able to provide for Bethany like he wanted, I decided that I wasn't going to let that happen to me."

"So you built the house."

"Yes, and now it doesn't have to be an empty shell anymore. Now that I have you." He picked up my hand and kissed the back of it. "You can do whatever you want to it. I don't really have an eye for decorating."

"Too bad Alice isn't here. She's really good at this kind of thing." I couldn't help the pang of homesickness that crept into my tone. Thankfully, Paul didn't seem to notice.

"We'll get the hang of it. I think Emily has a lot of home decorating magazines we could look at."

"Does this mean I'll be living with you?" I queried.

"I was hoping. If you're not against it." He looked at me earnestly.

"No, I'm not against it." I grinned, snuggling against his chest.

"I was hoping that when you moved in, you'd be a little more than just my girlfriend." He said suddenly. His voice sounded unusually nervous. He sat up and pulled me up with him. His face was serious, as was his tone of voice. He was visibly flustered. I was puzzled by his sudden change.

"You are my _everything_, Camryn. My _everything_." His voice was ragged, his hands tracing my face to the back of my neck. His thumbs lingered on my lips. "I promise to try not to be too much of an ass, even though I will always be jealous of any guy that looks at you, even if he doesn't have any romantic intentions. I promise to always love you. And I promise that I'll never, ever be parted from you." He paused for a moment, before quickly adding, "unless taken by force."

We lay there silently, staring into each other's eyes for what seemed like forever.

I thought about how fast all of this seemed to happen. How my life was completely flipped upside down by this man, this wolf of a man, wolf man. Here I was, with nothing but my own stupid fears holding me back. Happy tears began to run down my face. Paul gently soothed me and wiped the salty tears from my cheeks.

I knew what was coming then.

We leaned our foreheads together. I closed my eyes. Both of us were breathing hard and fast. I had made my decision the night I let him close to me for the first time, the night of our first kiss, the night I let fate, or whatever it was, take over.

We kissed. Sweet kisses, not serious making-out kisses.

He pulled away for a moment. He had to hold me back just a little bit. He studied me carefully before speaking.

"Camryn Vera Cullen, will you marry me?"

I just nodded really fast before I was able to verbally answer him, but it was just barely a whisper before our lips were together again. Our bodies seemed to mold into one. This kiss, unlike all the others, was so intense it felt as if I was burning from the inside out.

I pulled away suddenly, a dreadful thought entering my brain. "But I'm not old enough!" I exclaimed, dismay welling up in me. Paul laughed through his own salty tears that seemed to appear out of nowhere.

"Yes, you are." He answered. I looked at him, puzzled. Then it dawned on me.

"What time is it?" I asked hurriedly, looking around for a clock.

"1:15." Paul grinned. March 16. My eighteenth birthday. I was officially legal.

"You had this all planned out, didn't you?" I accused him, shoving his chest in mock irritation. The annoyance I'd tried to infuse in my voice was absent, however. I just sounded breathless and high-pitched.

He smiled at me, a dark, predatory smile that made the butterflies in my stomach whirl up in a frantic storm. I was suddenly on my back on the bed, with Paul's grin staring back down at me. He grabbed my wrists, enclosing them in burning shackles, and pinned them over my head.

"Maybe," he mumbled against my lips, moving so that he was leaning over me. I giggled, a reaction quite unlike me. He pulled away, looking very pleased with himself, before leaning in to kiss me again.


	13. Chapter 13: For Dear Life

_A/N: Hello everyone! I just wanted to let people know that I have read Breaking Dawn (I personally think it is amazing!) but since An Unlikely Pair takes place after Eclipse I wanted to assure you all that this will continue like Breaking Dawn never happened. Read and Enjoy!_

Chapter 13

**For Dear Life**

My life could never be free of complications, I decided. Once I was able to think clearly, meaning when Paul was out on patrol and I was able to calm my overreactive horomones, I realized that I was still getting left behind.

Only it was backwards this time. Instead of me living the immortal life to stay with those I loved, I was remaining mortal in order to stay with the other 'immortal' _one_ I loved, and therefore left to get old by myself. Again. To stay _connected_, I had to be _disconnected_, if you understand my meaning.

I wrestled with this fact the entire day. Paul was making up for some lost time. Apparently, he had been getting a lot of the other pack members to cover his patrols in order to be with me the past few days. So he got stuck with a whole twenty-four shift. I think it might have been payback for more than just his time with me, but I wasn't completely sure. It had become obvious to me that before I was around to keep him occupied, he had been a complete pain. It wasn't that hard to believe, especially given the way we butted heads. But I loved him just the same.

I went over the pros and cons in my head.

First the cons, best to get the negatives out of the way first. One: I would get old and Paul wouldn't age, meaning I would die first. An unknown I did not want to explore without assurance that I would make it safely to the other side. Two: I would be useless if the Volturi _did_ show up, meaning that I would feel even more guilty about dragging the wolves into this. Three: I would probably never see my family again, unless they reacted the way I expected they would, which would involve ripping the entire pack to shreds and stealing me away, Volturi or no.

Now the pros—the ever tempting desires and raw emotions. One: I would be happy in many ways, and in effect Paul would be happy too, which was all I really cared about. Two: I would be able to eat real food for the rest of my days. Three: I would be able to have children. Four: _And_ I wouldn't have to deal with running any longer. I could just stay put. But I still would be completely useless if anyone I loved was put into danger. That fact was what unsettled me the most.

I tapped my fingers on the wood of the Uley's kitchen table as I thought this through. Paul insisted on my coming so that I wouldn't be alone in the house all day, even though that was what I would have preferred, with all of this to think through.

It's not that I had changed my mind about the whole marriage thing. That was one thing I wasn't confused about. I loved Paul in a way I couldn't explain. He was the only clear and steady thing I knew about my future.

My mind started to wander to other places the moment I thought about the wedding. The after part especially. A small smirk found its way onto my face.

I felt eyes on me. I turned quickly to find Jacob leaning in the doorway staring at me intently. He raised his eyebrows as I turned back to my thoughtful position. I didn't mind too much, it wasn't like he could hear what I was thinking. I figured he'd go his own way again, like always.

I started getting annoyed after about five minutes of me sitting and him staring. I turned back to him, "Well? Did you need something?"

He came and sat down across from me, as if my questions were an open invitation for company. I watched him warily. I knew he didn't like me too much, based on his reactions, and, I assumed, my origins. He got comfortable and looked right at me.

"What were you thinking about?" He asked. His tone seemed friendly.

"Nothing of consequence." I felt my face heat up at the lie. He winced slightly. "What?"

"You blush, just like Bella used to." He replied, a note of pain evident in his voice.

I looked at him, puzzled by his comparison. I bit my lip as I thought.

"You bite your lip when you're thinking like she did too." He observed again. I immediately stopped.

"I'm not Bella." I replied, reminded once again that Jacob had an extensive history with one of my adopted mothers. I wouldn't have minded the comparison, I usually would have taken it as a compliment, but I didn't like the way he was looking at me. His eyes searching for something, or someone, that he wouldn't find through me.

He flinched again. "I didn't say that."

"But you were looking for her, weren't you?" I asked. He just looked away with a pained expression. I had been right. After a brief silence, I decided to take my chances to find out more. "How well did you know Bella?"

"She was my best friend." He answered in a whisper. Good, he was in a reflective mood.

"Really?"

"Yeah." He replied darkly. "She's forgotten all about me though, hasn't she? Crushed my heart and left me to rot while she went off to her precious blood sucker."

I had expected this kind of reaction eventually. I was getting really good at reading people. Nothing seemed to be much of a surprise anymore.

"No, I don't think she has." I answered. He looked up and let out a dark sarcastic laugh. "No, really. She hasn't forgotten about you at all. Why else do you think she gave me the charm you made her for safekeeping?" He looked at me, still disbelieving. "Not only that, but why would she get all melancholy and depressed after I would ask her to tell me a werewolf story. I think I understand what _that_ was about now."

He grunted. His eyes were wet. I decided to change the subject. I didn't know how to deal with a large crying wolf-man. Not other than Paul anyway. But those were happy tears, and there was a very big difference.

"I heard you were good with cars and stuff." I said, desperate to change the subject.

"Yeah." He replied gruffly. He eyed me warily. I wondered why.

"Do you have any old motorcycles lying around? I wasn't allowed to bring mine with me, and I have a need for some speed, if you know what I mean." I smiled, hoping to make some sort of truce.

He expression went blank. I was confused. Had I said something wrong?

"Who taught you to ride a motorcycle?" He asked, his voice hollow now.

"What does that have to do with anything?" I asked, avoiding the topic that I knew would only mean grown wolf-man tears.

"Who?" He repeated. He was shaking now.

I sighed. "Bella."

At her name, he was up and out the door. I watched, disappointed, at my failure to make him my friend. I didn't like people not liking me, especially if it was just based on some preconceived notion. I wanted Jacob to be my friend. I don't know why, but I just did.

I leaned back in my chair before getting up and walking into the living room. Emily was snoozing in one of the recliners, her stomach huge. Being around her made me happy and nervous all at the same time. Her smiles were infectious, but I had never been around a pregnant woman before. It was a little unsettling.

She opened her eyes as I walked by. I stopped when I saw she was awake. She smiled sleepily at me. I smiled back, knowing from experience that she would soon be back in dream land. I was right. I continued on my way to the room I used to share with Claire, with hopes that I might find something interesting to read in there.

"Sam!" Emily's suddenly called, her voice frantic. "Sam!"

I ran to her side. "Emily? Is everything okay?" I was worried out of my mind. Here I was alone with a frantic pregnant woman and something was wrong.

She was breathing heavily, with beads of sweat forming on her forehead. She shook her head as she let out a moan, grasping my hand and squeezing tight.

"Something's wrong!" She managed to tell me.

"Wh...what do you want me to do?" I asked, anxious to help her.

"GET SAM!" She practically screamed at me. I nodded frantically, not knowing how I could leave her in this state. Then it came to me. One of the wolves always patrolled near the houses, once every half hour. I prayed that one of them was nearby now.

"Hold on, Em!" I begged as I undid her iron grip. "I'll be right back!" She nodded and began to moan again.

I sprinted to the back door and threw it open, sprinting to the edge of the woods. "HELP! SOMEBODY HELP!" I yelled. I even started jumping up and down, as if that would help matters.

I heard the rustle of leaves as a large, dark, silver wolf emerged from the trees. Paul. Luck was on my side. He looked around for any sign of danger, worry evident in his eyes even in this form.

I didn't bother letting him finish his surveillance. "It's Emily. I think she's going into labor. Get Sam NOW!"

He abruptly let out a loud howl. I covered my ears, not ready for the sudden noise. I spun and ran inside, worried about Emily. She had her eyes squeezed shut and her hands balled into fists.

"Sam's on his way, Emily." I assured her. She just nodded her head once. I ran and grabbed a cool washcloth. When I returned, Sam and Paul were walking into the door, expressions of worry carved into both of their faces.

"Emily, honey? Are you okay? I sent for a doctor." Sam said, coming immediately to his wife's side. I handed him the washcloth.

"Does it _look_ like I'm okay?" Emily spat from between clenched teeth, sounding pissed. Sam ignored her, gently wiping away the sweat and letting her squeeze his hand.

The phone rang in the kitchen the same moment I felt the buzz of my cellphone. I started. Paul gave me an uneasy glance, before darting off to answer the other phone. I followed him as I pulled out the silver rectangle and flipped it open.

I answered hesitantly, Paul watching my every move while carrying on his own phone conversation. "Hello?" I squeaked.

"Oh thank GOD you're all right!" It was Rosalie's voice. She was always so protective and tended to be a little dramatic about it. But this time, I was right there with her.

"Rose! It's really you?" I exclaimed. I heard voices in the background.

"It's really me. Is everything okay there?" She asked. "You can have a turn after I'm done!" I heard her say to someone in the background. "Fine." I heard her reply icily after a few moments. "Camryn, darling, Bella is demanding to talk to you _now_."

"Okay. I'm just so glad you are okay, Rose. I thought they had gotten you, especially after that last phone call." I said hurriedly before the phone got handed off. All I received in response was dead silence, literally.

"What phone call?" Rose asked, her voice like stone.

"They got your phone, didn't they?" I asked cautiously.

"No, my phone is right here. Camryn, what are you talking about?" She asked slowly.

I gasped. "What? Camryn, what is it?" Her voice was urgent now.

"They know where I am. Or at least how to contact me." I replied. "Jane called."

I heard the sound of loud hissing and snarls. I had to hold the phone away from my ear. With the phone held away, I could hear Emily in the living room and Sam trying to comfort her. Paul was just hanging up the phone, his face white.

"Camryn!" I heard Carlisle's voice call urgently from the phone. I kept it away from my ear as I watched Paul. His eyes met mine.

"The doctor isn't in town. He went on vacation and isn't supposed to be back for a few more days. Emily's due date isn't for another few weeks." Emily yelled profanities from the other room. I couldn't stand to see her in so much pain.

I knew what I had to do. I put the phone back up to my ear. "Carlisle, how far away are you?" My voice was full of purpose now.

"We're in Seattle." He answered, noting the change in my voice.

What a relief. "I need you to come to the reservation. Emily Uley is in premature labor and the doctor isn't available. And she won't let one of the medicine women come near her. She's in a lot of pain." I instructed, only a small hint of the enormous panic I was in was evident in my voice.

"The wolves?" Was his reply. I looked over at Paul who was staring at me in astonishment.

"I think I can handle it. I think it's best if you come alone though." I replied, my eyes pleading with Paul.

"Okay. I'll wait for someone on the borderline to escort me safely to Emily in about five minutes." He answered. We both clicked our phones shut.

I ignored Paul's still shocked expression as I ran in to where Sam and Emily were. "Sam, I need to talk to you privately."

He glared at me. "Can't you see I'm busy?"

"Now. If you really care about Emily, you will come and hear what I have to say." I responded in a desperate voice. He gawked at me, and then seeing the seriousness of my expression, glanced at his wife.

"I'll be right back, honey." He kissed the top of her forehead. He followed me onto the porch. Paul was still gawking at me, but went to Emily as she let out a muffled groan.

"Make it quick."

"The doctor can't make it, _but_," I added, just as he was about to flip out on me, "if you will cooperate, I can get her the help she needs."

"How?" He asked desperately, Emily and the baby the only things on his mind.

"Carlisle." I answered. He immediately looked like he was going to explode.

"No, no, and no!" He said shaking his head violently. Another groan escaped Emily's lips.

"But it's the only way! Can't you look past your differences just this once? To save your wife's life? Or is that just too much to ask?" I gulped, praying that I wouldn't get eaten alive.

Emily screamed, and I got my answer. Sam ran back into see her. "Paul," he ordered, "tell the others to let Carlisle pass the line, but only Carlisle. Got that!"

Paul ran out the door, his expression unreadable.

"I'm coming with you." I said. He nodded once, in compliance. I was surprised at how easy it was.

"Stay here," he commanded in a hard voice. He jumped off the porch and disappeared into the woods.

I was about to run after him, but before I could, he was returning, this time as a wolf. I would have to ask him to do that for me again, so I could fully appreciate the beauty and complexity of the whole thing. My concentration at the moment, however, was on Emily and her unborn baby.

Paul came over to the steps and turned around. I jumped on his back, holding on for dear life as he took off into the trees, my hands gripping his dark silver fur.


	14. Chapter 14: Birth

_A/N: Yes...I posted two in a row! This is rare...don't start expecting it! Like always read and enjoy!_

**Chapter 14**

**Birth**

As Paul ran, I heard howls echo around us in the forest. I wondered how they communicated without actually speaking to each other. Maybe it was something to do with smell. Kind of like how dogs pee on stuff to mark their territory...ewww.

I felt it when Paul began to slow down. My heart began to pound faster with the anticipation of seeing my adoptive father again.

I scrambled down Paul's back as he came to a complete stop. I saw Carlisle a good distance away and started to run towards him, but I wasn't able to get very far. Paul's hand clamped onto my arm, effectively holding me back. I turned and glared, trying to yank myself away from him

I saw two other wolves walk up behind Paul. They were crouched, as if they were ready for an attack. I heard a loud hiss and snarl. I jerked my head around. Carlisle was no longer alone.

Edward and Jasper had joined him. Jasper was holding Edward back. My eyes must have been huge.

Paul shoved me behind him, crouching like the others. He let out a growl. I was still too shocked to react.

"What is it?" Carlisle asked Edward calmly, surveying the werewolves and me, standing shell shocked behind them.

"He imprinted on her." Edward hissed. Jasper let out a low hiss of his own, but stayed in control, even though I could tell he wanted to rip the wolves to shreds. I felt myself go from panicky and anxious to calm and relaxed in an unnaturally short period of time. I recognized Jasper's talent immediately and looked over at him gratefully. Edward began to slowly relax too, as did the wolves.

There was no time for this. I tried to step around Paul, but he shifted to block my movement.

Edward hissed again. "We're not going to hurt her, you fool. She was with us first, in case you don't remember." Paul continued to stand his ground, blocking my every attempt to get around him.

"Would everyone just stop it!" I shouted. "Can we wait until _after_ Emily delivers the baby safely to continue this stupid feud! Sam said that Carlisle could cross, so just _back_ off." I threw up my arms to emphasize my words.

Jasper and Carlisle exchanged impressed glances. Edward had on a puzzled expression.

"Carlisle, it's safe for you to cross. They won't attack you when you are under the protection of the Alpha. We'll wait for your return." Edward said. I sighed in relief. Paul nudged me with his big black nose, signaling me to climb back onto his back. I waved sheepishly at Edward and Jasper as I took a running start and leaped, securing myself on Paul's back. I wanted to stay and be truly reunited with my family, but the situation demanded differently.

We ran all the way back. Paul's fur bristled as he ran next to Carlisle. I peeked, watching Carlisle. He turned and gave me a grim smile.

We were there at last. I jumped off and Paul ran into the woods to transform back. I ran up to the door and went through, to give Sam a heads up.

The situation had worsened. Emily's face was contorted in pain, and Sam looked lost. He looked up at me, helpless, and it terrified me. I turned and signaled Carlisle. Paul was directly behind him.

Carlisle went into action. "Sam I think it would be best if we moved her to the bed. Camryn, I need boiling water and plenty of rags." I nodded and ran into the kitchen.

Paul was at my heels the entire time, grabbing rags as I boiled the water.

We waited on the deck, staying out of the way. Paul sat on the top step, while I sat on one of the lower ones, tucked securely between his knees, my head resting on his chest. It was quiet outside, but every so often the air would be punctuated by Emily's screams.

The sun was setting when we heard the cry of a baby. I let out a sigh of relief and turned to kiss Paul. He froze, stiff as a board. It scared me at first, but when I turned to see what the problem was, I jumped up immediately. Carlisle had just emerged from the house.

"Is everything okay?" I asked, giving Carlisle a hug. Paul still hadn't moved. He was like a statue, only his eyes following my movements.

"Everything is fine. Emily and Sam are now the proud parents of a healthy baby girl." He replied with a satisfied grin. "I should probably get going now. No need to risk overstaying my welcome."

I nodded, glancing uneasily at Paul again. He looked about ready to rip Carlisle to shreds and I realized that I was still wrapped in his cold embrace. "Tell everyone I said hello and that I love them. And not to worry _too_ much."

"Of course. We'll call you soon, to set up a meeting. We have a lot to talk about, it seems. We love you too." He said. I nodded and felt the prick of tears welling up in my eyes.

He was gone in less than a minute. I wiped the tears away with the back of my hand. Paul pulled me into his arms, having finally relaxed enough to get up.

"You stink." He mumbled in my hair.

"Thanks so much." I laughed.

"Camryn? Emily is asking for you." Sam's voice came from the doorway. "Paul can come too."

Paul took my hand and we followed Sam into the bedroom. Everything was cleaned up and Emily was propped up by pillows with a small bundle of blankets in her arms.

She smiled as we entered, motioning for me to come closer. I sat down on the edge of the bed.

"I want to thank you for what you did for me, Camryn." She whispered, so as not to wake the baby.

I blushed. "It was just the right people being in the right place at the right time."

"You're too modest. Would you like to hold her?" She held out her arms, to pass on the baby.

I must've looked as frightened and nervous as I felt, because she laughed at me. "It's easy, you'll be fine." _I'll_ be fine! I was worried about the baby!

I sat down on the bed and reluctantly held my arms out, the way she showed me. She slid the warm bundle into my arms. "Remember to support her head."

I could see her face now, tiny and pink. Her hands, with all her little fingers, were sticking out too. I didn't know much about babies, but I did know that this one was about as close to perfect as anything in the world could get.

"She's beautiful." I breathed.

"What are you going to name her?" Paul whispered, looking at the baby in my arms. I watched as she slept.

Emily looked up at her husband before answering. Their smiles showed how immensely happy they were. "Hannah Mae."

My eyes were still on the baby. "Welcome to the world, Hannah Mae Uley." I whispered, touching her cheek with the tip of my finger. Paul sat next to me and slid his arm securely around my waist.

We left when Kim brought Ethan and Daniel home to see their new baby sister. Paul, having missed some of his patrol time, was due to finish it out in the next few hours. I was waiting for him on the couch when he finally came home.

"What?" I asked as I crawled up next to him. He had been looking at me in an unfamiliar way ever since we got home.

He just cocked his head so that he could get a better look at me and smiled. I smiled right back, still confused.

"It's just that, when I saw you holding Hannah, well it just got me thinking." He hedged.

"About what?" I asked cautiously, not sure where this was headed.

"The future mostly. You're going to make one hell of a mother." He replied.

"Don't get too far ahead of yourself." I blushed, accepting the compliment, mostly because I _did_ like the idea of having a baby. Even with all the pain that Emily went through, I saw how all of that didn't really matter in the end. The Uley's glowing faces, and holding tiny little Hannah in my own arms, had really changed my perspective.

"Why not? Isn't this the kind of thing engaged couples talk about?" He teased, flipping so that he was hovering over me, his body in push up position.

I wrinkled my nose at him, teasing back. "Maybe, but mostly I just think they're a little preoccupied by what has to come _before_ that. If you get my gist."

He laughed before bending his arms to lower himself down closer to me. His lips felt like there was an electric current running through them when they touched mine. The next thing I knew, my legs were wrapped around his waist, my hands twisted in his hair, and my body molded into his own.

"I have to go," He moaned. Roughly two hours had passedand he was due for another short round of patrols. I was laid out next to him.

"Do you have to?" I pouted, trying to secure him to me with my feeble human arms.

"Believe me, if I didn't have to, I wouldn't even _mention_ leaving." He replied, starting to move off the bed.

"Don't do anything stupid, okay?" I told him. He turned and looked at me funny, grunted and turned to go out the door. I knew he knew to what I was referring.

"I love you." I whispered when I heard him start down the steps. I heard him hesitate, then continue, and I knew that he had heard me. It was the first time I had said it out loud. Before, it was just understood, implied. I knew he was worried and a little bit jealous of my love for the Cullens, envious perhaps that his presence in my life would always be dwarfed by theirs.

But now he didn't have to doubt.


	15. Chapter 15: Debt

_A/N: First off...SO SORRY for taking so long. In my defense I do have a pretty busy life right now (not that I'm complaining, I love my life), as does my beta reader. I will continue posting chapters but I do not guarantee that they will be posted at regular intervals. As always...Read and enjoy!_

* * *

Chapter 15

Debt

"So how do you guys communicate without, I don't know, _barking_ at each other?" I asked Paul. We were back at home, waiting for the phone call from my family. I was laying, quite comfortably, on top of Paul, my chin propped up on his chest.

"We can hear each others' thoughts when we're in wolf form." Paul explained, his hands entwined on the small of my back.

"Like Edward can?" I asked, confounded.

He grimaced. "I guess, but it's a little more involved than that. We can feel what the other feels and sees what the others have seen. That's why it takes a lot more concentration to keep yourself focused, especially if you don't want the others involved in your personal life." He laughed at the last part.

"Doesn't that bother you?" I asked. "The invasion of privacy, I mean?"

"Sometimes it's not that bad, but it does get really annoying sometimes. _Especially_ after one of the guys comes back from being with their imprint. But now that I know how it feels on the other side though, I just can't help myself." He was smiling.

I wasn't.

"So you mean the rest of the pack will know about everything we do? _Everything?_" I was shocked and more than slightly disturbed.

"Not if I don't think about it." He quickly spoke defensively, eyeing my expression warily.

"But you said that it was difficult. Has anyone ever kept their private lives completely private so far?" I hounded him.

He gulped. "Not entirely, no."

"So you're saying that every kiss, every touch, is not just between the two of us...but the _entire_ pack!?" My voice was gaining in volume with each word I spoke

He remained silent for a second too long. I rolled off of him in a huff and slid away, crossing my arms. He sat up so quickly that he blurred and wrapped his arms around my waist, pulling me to him again.

"Don't be mad, please." He implored pitifully. I squirmed in his arms, trying futilely to escape.

"What do you mean 'don't be mad'? I mean _jeez_! I thought I had _finally_ found a place where I could have ultimate privacy. Where I could live without Edward reading my mind the whole time and Alice having visions about decisions I make before I even really decide for myself! But _now_ I find out that my whole life with you is being displayed for every one of your friends to see!"

"I'll make sure to block as much from my mind as possible before I go wolf. I promise! So please don't be mad!" He pleaded, pushing a loose curl out of my face.

"You know, you make it impossible for me to stay mad at you." I grumbled, pouting a little bit. He laughed in response.

"Good." He said, kissing me. "You know," he suddenly said after a few quiet moments, "you would make a pretty good alpha if you were a werewolf."

"What? Where'd that come from?" I asked with a laugh. He could be so _random_ sometimes.

"Well, when Emily was in trouble, you didn't hesitate at all, you just took charge. You even ordered Sam around. Not only that, but you even forced us and the vamps to cooperate. And that is not an easy challenge."

"She needed help. What'd you expect me to do? Sit around and let Sam freak out the whole time?" I asked skeptically.

"Most wouldn't have the guts to get it done. I mean, seriously. He's the Alpha. The _Alpha_. I have to follow his every command. We're not used to anyone but him giving out orders."

"Oh. Do you think he'll get mad at me? For telling him what to do?" I asked, seriously considering his dominant position for the first time.

"In any other situation, definitely yes. But you pretty much saved Emily and Hannah. He's indebted to you for that one."

"I don't like that idea too much. I don't want anyone to be in my _debt_." I said, fumbling over the words as if it was almost too disgusting to say.

"Well, it is what it is. He's not going to change his mind about it anytime soon. Not until he repays you in some way."

"He can repay me by forgetting all about it. I don't need anything. I would have helped Emily no matter what."

"I know, but you need to look at this from his point of view. Not only is he the Alpha, the guy that is supposed to be ready for any kind of situation, but he wasn't able to help his own wife. If he doesn't do anything, then he'll feel weak. His position won't feel as justified, if you know what I mean."

I thought this over for a few moments. "Tell him to just bake me a cake or something."

Paul started laughing. "Oh, yeah, I'm sure that will suffice!"

"Stop making fun of me." I said, shoving him playfully. At that instant, the house phone began to ring. Paul was up in a flash, disappearing into the next room. The absence of his hot arms from around me made the air feel that much colder.

"Hello?" I heard his deep voice answer, and then a short pause. "What business of it is yours?"

"Who is this anyway?" He asked rudely after another short pause. I jumped up and went to find out who Paul was torturing.

"Well, Weston Holte, what makes you think she wants to talk to you?" I immediately held out my hand for the phone. Paul shook his head. I raised my eyebrows and gave him my best glare.

He let me pry it out of his hands. "Wes? It's Camryn. I am soooo sorry I wasn't able to make it to the bonfire! I left a message on your phone, did you get it?"

"Yeah, I got it." He replied tersely.

"Good, I was worried that you thought I stood you up. Anyway, what did you need to talk to me about?"

"I was going to ask you to the movies later. But I just don't think I can do this anymore! I mean, god, Camryn!"

"Do what anymore? Wes? I don't understand."

"Claire warned me that you'd be like this, but I wouldn't listen. I thought that maybe if I hung on long enough, you would finally realize what you were starting to mean to me. I've never felt this way about anyone before, Camryn. But _apparently_ that _Paul_ creep controls your every freaking move! Is he hurting you? Are you in some kind of trouble?"

"Let me make one thing clear, Paul is _not _a creep and he does _not_ control me. I make my own decisions, my own mistakes. I am touched that you have feelings for me, but you should have listened to Claire."

"So was I just some kind of game to you? Lead on pathetic Wes, get a few good laughs, and then dump him on his ass?"

"I never meant to lead you on, I'm sorry if you got that impression. I do hope that we can stay friends though."

"Yeah, right. I doubt you would be allowed to anyways. What is Paul to you anyway? Why do you even hang around him? He's not a good person."

"I know you're hurting, Wes, but please stop insulting him. And to answer your question," I took a deep breath before replying, "Paul is my boyfriend. Or fiancé now."

The other end was silent.

"Wes? You still there?" I asked timidly.

"Camryn, you really do have some issues." The line clicked silent.

I held the phone away from my ear and just stared at it. Paul was looking at me in a slightly haughty manner.

"Don't be so smug." I chided him, pointing the dead phone at his nose.

"Now what reason do I have to be smug?" He asked with a grin.

"Ugh! I so owe him." I said, smacking my right hand over my eyes.

"Why do you owe him? If anything, he owes you an apology for not congratulating you on our engagement."

"But he was so nice, even when I blew him off and let you get by with being rude to him. He doesn't deserve to be treated like that."

"He _was_ warned, you know."

"Yeah, but still. He didn't really know what he was getting into. He _still_ doesn't know."

"Would you be mad if I still have the urge to go kick his butt?"

"You are _impossible_, you know that?"

"It's all part of my charm. It would have never worked out with you and Wes anyways. Even if I wasn't in the picture."

"Now why is that?"

"I know his type. He wouldn't have given you the satisfaction of arguing with you. He's not enough of a challenge. And, my love, you _live_ for a challenge."

I shrugged my shoulders and went to set the phone back on its cradle. Before I could turn around though, Paul lifted me off my feet into an embrace.

"Not only that," he said gruffly, "but I doubt you'd ever find anyone who kisses as good as I do."

I laughed as we kissed, letting his natural heat wash over me. "Modesty isn't one of your strongest suits, is it?"

The phone slipped from my hand and landed on the counter with a loud clatter as I wove both of my hands around his neck.

"You are modest enough for both of us, I think." He said, before pulling me in for another passionate kiss.


	16. Chapter 16: Fragile Glass

_A/N: Hello everyone! Sorry for such a long wait! Don't mean to be rude or anything but...get used to it. I have a life outside of my stories...sad I know...and don't have the time or instant creativity to write 24/7. Thank you for being supportive and loving fans! _

Chapter 16

Fragile Glass

I waited anxiously in the clearing, tapping my foot impatiently. I was a wreck, worried about the whole rift between werewolf and vampire, but also excited to be reunited with my family once again. I watched the trees, my body still, but my eyes scanning the tree line carefully.

Some of the werewolves, in their human forms, stood behind me. A few others, like Embry and Collin were in their wolf forms, circling the perimeter. Sam agreed that it would be best if they kept their distance. Paul wasn't too thrilled, but after I assured him for the millionth time that I would be okay, he'd agreed to stay with the rest of the pack.

All of them were here. Even Jacob, though he had apparently taken a vow of silence since I had last seen him. When I looked at him, he appeared empty, like he had detached himself from his body. No one expected him to show, not even Sam. I just hoped he wouldn't do anything stupid when he saw Bella again, for the first time since her change.

I felt something alter. I felt their presence. I don't know what it was, but I just knew. I guess it was just something I picked up on over the years. I watched the trees more intently.

Cool wind whipped against me, my hair swirled around my face. I heard the werewolves go still, the nervous fidgeting stopping. Then I knew for sure.

Carlisle emerged first, followed by the others. Bella and Edward last. A smile was plastered on my face, even though the circumstances of our reunion were dire.

They stopped a good ways away. I knew they were waiting for me. That was the agreement. I would get to talk to them before they had to share me.

I looked over my shoulder, trying to tell Paul that I would be okay, but I think it only came across as immense joy...which probably only made it worse for him. I saw Sam nod out of the corner of my eye. Jake was looking especially stiff. His eyes were closed, but I suspected that he had gotten a glimpse of her at least.

I had to restrain myself, to keep from running, skipping, leaping over to them. Their faces where happy too, excited, even, though I knew that they were hiding their negative feelings from me.

I kept restraining myself for Paul's sake. Edward understood. I saw the hint of anger in his eyes. I had become insanely good at reading them, it was an amazing thing.

"You're different. Being here has changed you." Edward commented. They surrounded me now. Greetings weren't necessary, only a few hugs and meaningful looks.

"A lot has changed." I replied, shrugging.

"So you and what's his face, huh?" Emmet asked, sounding betrayed.

"His name is Paul. It just kind of happened." I answered, shrugging again.

"She didn't really have a choice in the matter, Emmett." Esme replied, trying to keep the peace.

"She's the victim." Rosalie said, putting her arm around me. I gave her a hard look.

"Watch it, Rose." Edward warned, obviously noting that I took great offense to being dubbed a 'victim'. Rosalie stuck up her nose. Typical.

"I don't think I really have a problem with the whole imprint thing, just with _who_ imprinted on you. I mean jeez, let's make things even _more_ complicated." Emmett huffed.

"Apparently, making things complicated is my special talent." I replied sarcastically.

"It's not your fault he imprinted on you." Jasper said, making me feel more at ease about the whole situation with his unique talent.

"Give her a break guys. We're the ones who sent her here in the first place, remember?" Bella interjected.

"Some good that did. The Volturi still found her." Emmett grumbled.

"They would've found her faster if she had stayed with us." Alice replied, her face still scrunched up.

"Have you seen anything new?" I asked.

"No, which is really starting to bother me." She answered.

"I don't sense any immediate danger, so we're good for now." Bella assured us. She patted Alice on the shoulder, comforting her, understanding her frustration.

"But if we don't include the wolves in this little pow-wow soon, there _will_ be immediate danger." Edward noted, his voice tense, not that an outsider would be able to tell.

I turned to look behind me. Paul was at the invisible boundary, a strained expression on his face, his body language showing his internal struggle as to whether or not to cross over.

"If he crosses, he is _so_ mine." Emmett growled under his breath.

I turned and glared at him. "You will do no such thing. He's only worried about me."

Emmett continued to grumble. It was apparent that their feud was going to cause me more than a little trouble.

With a nod from Edward, I walked quickly back over to Paul. His whole body relaxed as I crossed the invisible line, placing my hand in his outstretched one.

My family walked closer, but remained a good deal behind the line. They knew their limits. I just hoped that Emmett would resist his urge to attack something. The same hope applied to the wolves. I didn't want any bloodshed, and there wouldn't be any if I could help it.

Part of my mind began to drift, something that had become more and more common for me as I grew more accustomed to the wolves, to Paul. I always thought about the future. There were the times when I envisioned it with the glass half full, while other times it was half empty.

This time, with everything running as smoothly as it was, the fragile glass holding my future was half full. It was the same every time.

It was Christmas. Paul and I were curled up on a couch together, watching the fire dance in the fireplace after a long day of festivities. All the families would have come of course, including _my_ side. It was impossible, as I very well knew, but it was _my _fantasy, right?

The conscious part of me caught Edward staring intently, and I realized that I didn't have the luxury of private thoughts anymore. I immediately toned down my thoughts, keeping them as minimal and basic as I could—a talent I had picked up on over the years. I avoided his gaze, concentrating on the conversation at hand.

"You've had recent activity." Carlisle stated. I noted the lack of question.

"A few trails along the southern border, but no sightings. Do you think it's the Volturi?" Sam asked.

"We'll go down and check them out to find out for sure." Carlisle replied. "We know their scent."

"We're going to need access into parts of your territory, if we're going to secure all areas." Edward spoke up, his attention diverted from me for the time being.

His statement was followed by a long pause from both sides, except for a few low growls that were quickly hushed.

"We will reinstate the treaty. As long as Camryn remains a shared concern." Sam replied, breaking the silence. The wolves stood in shock for a moment.

"WHAT?" Jake nearly exploded. Edward shoved Bella behind him, though she returned to her position within seconds. At least that's what I expect happened. The movement was so fast it was difficult for me to tell.

"Jake, you don't have to like it. Camryn is their. . . daughter, and Paul's imprint. We both have something similar to protect, not to mention our whole territory and secret if the Volturi do come to find her. Camryn also saved Emily and Hannah's life, by protecting her and working with the Cullen's my debt is repaid." Sam raised his voice, his eyes telling Jake to back down.

"Bake her a damn cake or something!" Jake fumed, his fists clenched.

"What is it with Sam baking cakes?" Paul questioned under his breath. I would've laughed if it wasn't for the intense tension that was building between my two families. The danger was too great.

"Jake," Sam said through clenched teeth, "Maybe it would be best if you left now. We don't need any trouble."

"No. I'm not going anywhere." He answered, fists still clenched.

I noticed that he wasn't shaking. His exterior, although angry, was collected. An eerie kind of calm. I nervously looked over to Edward, expecting some sort of worried expression. Instead his face was exactly the opposite, completely relaxed. I noticed Bella casting sidelong glances in his direction too. Obviously our worries and doubts about Jake's calm facade were shared.

"Now that that's settled, can we move on to the more urgent matters at hand?" Edward suggested, his voice almost smug.

"Is it possible for some of you to run patrol along the coast as well?" Alice asked.

"We already patrol in the coastal areas." Quil quickly answered, obviously taking offense.

"Yes, I realize that. But how often?" She replied. She was a little more irritable and impatient than usual.

"Every patrol group goes by at least twice during their runs." Embry answered, a little more calmly, although he was still offended like Quil. He had taken the place of Brady, who had obviously replaced him in patrol.

"How long are patrols?" She asked thoughtfully.

"Eight hours each." Edward responded. A few of the wolves let out annoyed growls.

"You should cover the coast at least twice an hour then." Alice concluded.

"What makes you think the blood suckers are going to come over water?" Paul asked. He had remained quiet longer than usual, a very strong attempt to avoid controversy.

"My vision is hazy but I keep seeing a lot of blues and greens. Usually that means water." Alice replied, the last part coming out in a very sarcastic tone. I winced, squeezing Paul's hand, hoping his pride wouldn't be bruised so easily today.

He did a good job of staying calm. Jasper led Alice towards the back, obviously fearing what her unusual moodiness might start.

"What about this Jane character?" Paul spoke up. He had been itching to rip her apart, ever since the phone call. I only knew this because Paul apparently ranted to Quil about her during patrol, who in turn complained of it to Claire, who relayed it to me.

"Yeah, how'd she get a hold of Rose's phone?" I asked, my interest fully perked now.

"I dropped it." Rosalie answered, a little too quickly in my opinion.

"Please," I answered rolling my eyes, "haven't we covered this? I'm not completely incompetent. Rose never drops her phone, or _anything_ for that matter. One thing I _have_ learned from you over the years is that you try to make it as if you've never existed when you leave anywhere. Whether that be a hiking trail or hotel room. What were you so desperate to get away from that you forgot your phone? Not to mention what where all of you were doing so close to the Volturi?" I let go of Paul's hand and crossed my arms.

"Hand it over." Emmett grunted to Jasper. I watched as Jasper pulled a wad of cash out of his shirt pocket and handed it over to Emmett's waiting hand.

"You made a bet on _what_, exactly?" I asked, watching as Emmett handed Bella half of the wad.

"On how fast you would pick up on Rose and call her out on it." Emmett shrugged.

"So what _were_ you doing?" I repeated my question as Rosalie hissed at Emmett.

"That is something you don't need to worry about right now." Esme spoke up, glaring at Emmett and Bella to the best of her ability.

"Something you don't need to worry about _ever_." Rosalie chimed.

I knew it was no use arguing with them. Not just yet anyway. I sat with Paul underneath a tree a little ways away as my two families discussed the technicalities of the new patrol routes.

I drifted off to sleep a little after three in the morning to the sound of Paul's soft humming. I tried to keep my eyes, and ears, open for as long as I could, but finally sleep overtook me.

As I lay unconscious, the fragile glass of my future was increasing in vulnerability every second, even as the supernatural forces of vampires and werewolves tried to save it. In the end, the glass was going to be mine to cradle or to break.

The circumstances under which the choice would be made were the only unknown now.


	17. Chapter 17: Skin Deep

_A/N: Happy Thanksgiving! Just a heads up this chapter is different from the previous ones and as of right now is going to be the only one like it. Don't worry Camryn's perspective is coming back! As always...read and enjoy!_

* * *

Chapter 17

Skin Deep

The air was cold and damp, the gray brick walls thick with slime. A lone sconce dimly lit the room, showing it to be about as big as a medium sized closet. A white, statuesque figure sat in a corner, making no movement. One might have thought the figure an eloquent statue, except for the stark difference between its marble-like skin and the dirty walls; not to mention the modern black t-shirt and pants the figure adorned. The person was evidently male, his shoulders broad and his hair cropped short. He was sitting straight backed and stiff, the face was hidden by shadow.

Another figure soon emerged in the arched doorway that provided entrance into the little nook. He stood directly underneath the light. He was not a boy but not quite a man either. His skin was like the other figure's, white and marble, with strawberry blond hair. He leaned against the doorway, as if waiting for some sort of formal acknowledgement.

Finally the first boy looked up, his features bearing an undeniable resemblance to the other. The only difference was in the eyes and hair. The first boy had narrow, deep set eyes, making him seem more mysterious and thoughtful, and his hair was a dark rust color, with no trace of blond. The other's eyes were like large almonds and were surrounded by thick darker lashes, giving him a very innocent demeanor. Both possessed a pair of dark red eyes.

"Demetri and Jane are back." The innocent boy stated, his voice void of all emotion.

"Any news?"

"Based on Jane's extra-demonic mood, I'd say that they found something."

"Do you think Aro will finally let us join the hunt?"

"I'm neither a mind reader nor a strategist. What do you perceive?"

"I think if they have truly found a lead this time that our chances have improved significantly."

"What if the odds are against us?"

"Shh. Someone is coming down the Northern passage."

The two remained still and silent. Soon enough soft footsteps could be heard coming closer and closer to the pairs hiding place. A tall, broad shouldered man appeared, his black hair spiked matching his silver spiked belt.

"Jose." The innocent boy acknowledged.

"Aro wants an audience." Jose replied, his Hispanic origin evident in the remnants of a smooth accent.

"Now?" The seated boy asked, emotion not even coloring his voice.

"Yes." Jose answered, his voice hissing off into the silence. He was apparently annoyed.

"Fine." Jose was gone the moment his message was acknowledged. In the same moment the two boys were making their way up a stone spiral staircase.

It did not take long for them to reach the tunnel that led to the main hall. Before emerging into the dimly lit grand hall each exchanged a glance, a human instinct for reassurance that never seemed to have left them.

The hall was not empty. A small crowd was gathered in the far corner, while Aro and his entourage waited patiently for the two boys.

"Conner, Hagan. I'm so glad you two could join us. I see Jose found you at last." Aro greeted, his voice containing an icy edge.

Both boys had entered into the grand hall. Aro was flanked by Marcus and Caius, who were in turn flanked by Jane and Demetri.

"A pleasure as always my, Lords." The mysterious one responded.

"We have news for you, some good, some bad. Depending on your point of view." Aro paused. He was known for his use of dramatic effects in his speeches. "Which will it be first? The good or the bad?" He paused again, looking between the two. Both knew it was best to remain silent during his games.

"Conner?" He looked towards the mysterious boy.

"Whichever you see fit Aro. You obviously have some sort of preference." Conner replied.

"Good answer." Jane flinched, as she always did when Aro showed one of them favor. "A combination of the two I think."

"Aro, must you drag it on so. Heidi is coming with our midday meal this very hour." Marcus seemed to whine impatiently. Aro threw him a nasty glance.

"Jane and Demetri have discovered the general whereabouts of the girl. The state of Washington, to be precise. Very peculiar placement actually, but nevertheless a location we can be sure of. My hopes are that for the final expedition to find the girl, you two will accompany myself and others to retrieve her." Aro paused waiting for a response.

"If you think it is wise, we would never dream of turning such a opportunity down." Conner replied for both himself and his brother.

"Excellent. Now, the bad news. She is still being protected by the Cullen clan, and thankfully their knowledge hasn't been increased about our plans for her. No thanks to Jane." He spoke her name with distaste. Jane seemed to shrink back but at the same time puffed herself up in defiance.

"What does this mean for our retrieval of the girl."

"It just makes our getting to her all the more difficult. Your services, Conner, will be greatly appreciated. And if we do come face to face, your services, Hagan, will also be held in high regard." Aro looked between the two boys like a proud father, only his intentions for them weren't quite so much paternal as they were self-beneficial. "I think if this trip goes as planned, you two will have the opportunity to get out more often."

"Thank you, you are most gracious." Conner replied. Hagan remained silent the majority of the time, when in council, allowing his brother the position of protector. Conner so enjoyed taking care of things and others.

"Now I do believe it is time for Heidi to be arriving. Conner, would you be so kind as to help usher our guests in?" Conner nodded his head in compliance. Hagan, in the meantime, leapt to the dark nook of a far wall. The small crowd in the corner had dispersed around the room as well.

Conner nodded his head towards the receptionist in the front lobby. She was the fifth one since his nine years as a vampire. Only one of those had ever made it. Eleni. She turned out to be one of the more bearable of the Volturi clan. Aro always questioned him as to why he never took her as a partner.

The voices of the tourists echoed through the tunnels, Heidi's velvety voice leading. Conner positioned himself in front of the desk and placed a welcoming smile on his face, putting on the facade of a tour guide.

"Conner, what a nice surprise," Heidi cooed, before turning to the gathering crowd. "Just one more passageway before we reach the main room of these awe-inspiring ruins. Our expert on Italian architecture will lead you the rest of the way."

He led them into the main hall, which now appeared empty. When the doors closed shut they began to get panicked, and he took the opportunity to slip away.

Aro stepped out of the shadows to greet them.

Conner took a moment to scan Heidi's pickings while he waited for the signal. His eyes stopped on a young couple standing on the outskirts of the crowd. The girl was what really caught his attention. She wasn't anything special, a pale stringy haired blonde. Her eyes are what got him, large with fear and a shocking emerald green.

When the frenzy started and the screaming began the girl with haunting emerald green eyes didn't have a chance to witness any of it. Her neck had been snapped and blood drained in seconds.


	18. Chapter 18: Calm Before the Storm

_A/N: Yeah, yeah...I know...it's been forever...as always read and enjoy!_

* * *

Chapter 18

Calm Before the Storm

They spent their days on constant patrol. They watched the news channels like starving wolves waiting for even just a scrawny chipmunk to flash across the screen.

The tension surrounding me was so great that the tension between my two families seemed as if it had never existed. Jake was another story. His calm facade was at the end of its wear, his moods becoming more and more unbearable. It was especially annoying when Paul would come back from one of his patrols and start slamming doors and stomping around like a child throwing a temper tantrum. I knew it wasn't in his control, he couldn't help that Jake had no respect for the bond the pack shared.

The bright side to this, however, was that Paul would feel so guilty about being a complete pain in the ass that I could pretty much get away with anything I wanted. Almost anything, that is. He still wouldn't let me completely lose my innocence, even though we were engaged.

I guess I understood his side of it too. With my family, especially Edward, practically breathing down his neck. Not to mention his promise to Sam. It didn't help that we were both pretty conservative in _that_ regard. Which, in a way, made me a hypocrite.

Nothing had happened for months. I had already graduated from high school, an honor graduate I might add. Wes and I ended up parting on good terms, even though I had a sneaking suspicion that he never really forgave me.

I was currently on receptionist duty at the Auto Shop. I had convinced Paul to let me do something other than sit around doing nothing. I would have preferred a job at a bookstore but beggers can't be choosers.

"How much longer will this take?" Mr. Hanfort, the first of two customers, asked. He had a bald patch on top of his head and wasn't in the best of shape, indicated by the large beer belly he possessed.

"If you will wait here just a moment I'll go check on your car," _for the third time . . . _I added in my head.

I signaled to Claire, who was restocking the car accessory shelves to cover for me. She rolled her eyes when she saw who was waiting at the desk.

"Embry? Collin?" I called as I entered the garage. The usual sounds that filled the garage were absent. "Hello? Embry? Collin? Anyone here?" I let out a frustrated groan. "Great guys, just leave Claire and me to cover for your asses." I said to the lifeless garage.

Just as I was about to face the music of Mr. Hanfort and the other lone customer someone practically tripped their way into the back entrance. I recognized the wavy shoulder length hair of Brady.

"Finally! We have customer's waiting!" I exclaimed. He dragged himself upright and picked up the clipboard that had Embry's notes about the cars on it.

"Sorry." He mumbled, rubbing his eyes.

"Brady, are you okay?" I asked noticing that he was still only wearing his cut off jeans.

"Yeah, 'm 'ust fine." He said trying to brush me off. Not so easy.

"How many hours have you been up?" I questioned, concern evident in my voice. Emily's constant mothering of the pack was beginning to rub off on me.

"Been up since four." He answered slowly.

"In the morning?"

"Yesterday morning." He hesitated before speaking. I knew for a fact that he had been on patrol for twenty-four hours straight before crashing for a few hours at Paul's the day before yesterday.

"This is ridiculous. Go home Brady. Get some sleep."

"But you have customer's waiting." He tried and failed to convince me satisfactorily.

"I can handle them. Don't worry about me, just go home and sleep." As much as I appreciated and understood their need to protect me and their pack's secret, I was getting a little annoyed at the lack of concern for their own well-being. This was getting absolutely ridiculous.

"But Paul'll kill me." He went in for a second attempt, and failed there too.

"I can handle him too. You're no good half asleep. Besides, you guys have all the perimeters covered. Nothing can happen to me or Claire."

He grunted in compliance, obviously too tired to give it a good fight. I sighed and turned around to go back into the lobby and make excuses.

"I'm sure it won't be much longer Mr. Hanfort. Have you seen the new air fresheners we just put out?" Claire asked, trying to push a few of the items she so carefully picked out and arranged to help the shop get a little more cash flow.

"No, and I don't care to. I just want my car." He replied grumpily. I braced myself.

"I'm sorry Mr. Hanfort, but both our mechanics had to leave in a rush. We won't be able to get your car back to you until tomorrow morning. We'd love to throw in a free air freshener and key chain to make up for this inconvenience." I announced, re-entering behind the receptionist desk.

"Don't you have other mechanics? What's wrong with them anyway?" He asked angrily.

"Yes, we do have others, but they're on vacation. Again, we are so sorry for the inconvenience." I answered, avoiding his second question.

"Would you like a traditional pine fresh air freshener or something like our apple pie scented one?" Claire chimed in, holding up examples of each.

We closed up shop as soon as we convinced Mr. Hanfort that our auto shop was the best in town and that he wouldn't find our deals anywhere else. He eventually settled on an air freshener with the scent of lavender blossoms. Needless to say, we refrained from commenting on his choice.

It was past noon by the time Claire and I headed to Emily's house. It was a relatively nice day outside so we decided to walk and let one of the guys get the car later.

"These patrol schedules are getting to the brink of insanity. Quil is either sleeping, eating, or on patrol. I understand why we need the patrols, but what I don't get is how we're supposed to feel safer when our protectors are temperamental and sleep-deprived." Claire ranted.

"Seriously. When I tried to talk to Emily about it, she said it was no use. Apparently all the pack voted in favor of this schedule. And don't even get me started on what Paul did when I suggested a more lax schedule."

"Stupid werewolf soul mates. Have to be so damn protective."

"It's all my fault. If it wasn't for me, you and the rest of the pack wouldn't have all this to worry about. You could have Quil all to yourself and Paul wouldn't be so freaked out all the time." I sighed.

"Stop it Camryn. Just stop it. I mean seriously, you have probably made things better for us than anything. Don't look at me like that. You have no idea what Paul was like before you came along. I'd rather deal with all of this than _pre_-Camryn Paul. Besides, it's nice having someone my age around. I never had anyone to really talk to before." Claire halted.

"You had . . . _have_ Quil."

"Yeah, but that's different." She said, beginning to walk again.

"Was Paul really that bad?" I asked skeptically.

"You don't even want to know." She laughed.

Just then I caught movement out of the corner of my eye. My heart went into overdrive. My brain calculated how fast one of the pack or my family could make it before both Claire and I were turned into a meal.

"Super." Claire interrupted my calculations. I finally registered Paul and Quil stalking in our direction. I groaned inwardly after the initial butterflies settled in my stomach, which was the feeling I got every time I saw Paul. We were in for it now. So much for enjoying the scenery.

"What do you think you two are doing?" Quil growled.

"Walking." Claire replied, enough attitude for the both of us. I had to admit, she was a lot braver than I had initially given her credit for.

"Don't give me attitude. I'm getting enough of that from Leah and Jacob." Quil replied annoyed.

"Don't act like we are unable to take care of ourselves. It's not like we are walking in Volturi infested land. The perimeter is protected to the _extreme_. You would know the moment a cricket jumped over the line an hour before it happened."

"Don't think we're all such amazing super heroes, we could make mistakes. It only takes a second of diverted attention for everything to change."

"I'm sorry, but I don't think I can handle being cooped up waiting for something to happen. It's driving me crazy!"

"What were you thinking?" Paul growled softly in my ear, his hand wrapping around my shoulders protectively. His voice drew my attention away from Claire and Quil's argument. "You could've been hurt. Why didn't you get Embry or Collin to drive you home?"

"Because Embry and Collin weren't there. And I am getting really tired of being chapronned all the time."

"What do you mean? Embry and Collin are working today. Then Brady was going to take over later and drive you two home."

"I sent Brady home. He was about to pass out in the shop."

"You what?"

"I sent him home. He was no good unconscious."

"Answer me this: How am I supposed to protect you if you insist on sending home your protectors?"

"You know what? I am done with this conversation. It's stupid and I obviously have no chance at winning."

"I'm glad you see things my way." Paul said, after a moment of looking confused. He was obviously expecting me to be stubborn like usual. The thing was, I was tired of fighting. It was useless and I was tired of fighting for lost causes.

That night my phone rang. What we were waiting for was finally arriving. I wasn't ready to believe it. My life was taking an inevitable turn towards the unknown. But then again, when had my future ever been known?


	19. Chapter 19: Change of Plans

_A/N: I think I am going to wrap up this story by the 23rd chapter. So the next ones will be pretty action packed. Once I'm done I will take a break for a little while, but don't worry I have too many ideas to stay away for too long. As always Read and Enjoy! _

_

* * *

_

Chapter 19

Change of Plans

They were meeting in the clearing. Discussing strategy, fighting techniques, and escape routes, while I was left with the rest of the women folk. Not to mention our protectors, Brady and Collin. Those two always got stuck with the short end of the stick, which never appeared to bother them.

I, on the other hand, was silently fuming. I had gotten to hear all their other meetings, why not this one. I tapped my foot and peered out the window impatiently. It had been two hours since they went off.

"Will you stop being so fidgety? You're making me nervous." Claire complained, taking a seat next to me.

"Sorry." I tried to stop, but failed. I was in a state of constant worry, mainly for Paul's safety. I beat myself up over what I was doing to him, how my presence put his life, his future, in jeopardy. I would never forgive myself if anything happened to him, we were one, as corny as it sounds, it's true. Without him, my life would be meaningless and without passion.

"Do you ever wonder what your life would have been like if you had never heard of vampires and werewolves?" Claire interrupted my depressing reflections.

"Sometimes."

"Do you think it would be, I don't know, less complicated?"

"No, just less surreal. If I wasn't for the whole vampire-werewolf thing I would have been passed around from foster home to foster home. I wouldn't have had any of the opportunities I've had with the Cullens. The only reason I would ever go back would be to see my brothers again."

"Do you remember them?" She asked carefully, knowing that this was a sensitive topic.

"I remember bits and pieces about them." I replied, my eyes knitting together trying to recall the memories.

"Like what?" She urged.

"Small things. Like what they looked like and just well, them. I remember their presence if you know what I mean."

"Yeah, I think I understand." She answered, nodding.

"What about you? Any regrets about being Quil's imprint?"

"None at all. I've grown up with him by my side every step of the way. When I was a kid he was my best friend, my big brother. I've never even really considered what life would have been like without him there. Pretty lonely, I imagine."

"I keep forgetting that he imprinted on you when you were two. That's so mind-boggling." I shook my head.

"From an outsider perspective, I guess it is pretty crazy sounding." Claire replied as if this was the first time she had ever really thought about how her situation might look from the outside.

"Isn't everything in this world 'pretty crazy?' I've come to learn that nothing is impossible...or too crazy to happen."

"That's for sure."

"Who knows...we could be getting our letters from Hogwarts any day now."

"Funny." She stated, giving me a sarcastic look.

"Yeah, that was pretty lame wasn't it?" I laughed, still more nervous than anything. Claire nodded in agreement, then looked out the window.

"Look. They're back." Claire said, getting up for a better view of the back yard.

I watched as Paul, Embry, and Seth sauntered up to the house. All had dismal looks on their faces. I gulped. The news wasn't going to be good. Fear was starting to creep its way into my mind.

Embry stopped Paul outside the woods. Paul looked angry. Embry looked insistent. Paul shook his head and Embry resigned after Seth came up and said something.

I was grateful to Seth, because it really looked as if Paul could tear something apart that very moment. I didn't really have the desire to witness my fiance tear apart one of his good friends. I wiped my sweaty palms on my jeans as the three entered the house. Emily was up and waiting at the door too.

"Is everything okay? Where's Sam?" Emily asked, pulling Seth into a hug.

"Come on, Camryn. We're going home." Paul said, completely talking over Emily. I didn't argue; he looked too defeated and worried. I wanted to just pull him close and take him away from all of this mess. But sadly that's not how the world works.

Embry glared at Paul, "Everything's fine Emily, Sam is just running a few things by the Cullens. He'll be home soon." Emily nodded, I waved goodbye as Paul practically ran out the door.

"What's going on?" I asked as gently as I could. We were in the car now.

"Please don't ask me." He begged, hitting the gas pedal. The rest of the ride was silent.

When we got to the house I followed Paul to the bedroom. He pulled out a suitcase and began putting clothes into it. Not just mine I noted. I lent a hand, still puzzling over where he could be taking me.

"Where are we going?" I asked.

"I can't tell you. I don't know myself just yet."

"And you're coming with me, right?" I asked this for self reassurance. I didn't think I could go anywhere far away if I was worried about him here...fighting...getting killed.

He stopped what he was doing and looked at me, his eyes full of love. He walked over and held me in his arms. Lifting my chin so that our eyes met he answered. "Always." We stayed like that for a moment longer before reality set back in.

We finished packing in record time. None of it was organized or folded for that matter, just jumbled up and crammed into the suitcase.

"They're letting you take me?" I suddenly asked, knowing that Sam wasn't one for protectors with severe emotional bias.

"They tried really hard for Embry, but I won." He responded sounding like his old smug self. This made me smile.

"Sometimes I'm glad that you're as stubborn as a jack ass."

"Sometimes I'm glad that you find me so amusing."

"Not just amusing, but lovable." He pulled me into his arms and fell onto the bed. Even in the face of so much danger we were incapable of being completely serious, we were too much in love.

He kissed me. I kissed back. This was another reason I couldn't be separated from him too long. He spoiled me, he was such a good kisser and a day without a kiss from him...well, let's just say that had better not happen.

A sudden banging on the door interrupted the amazingness. Paul threw me on his back and was at the front door in an instant. I was still in shock from the sudden movement when he opened the front door.

"It won't work anymore." Jake blurted.

"What do you mean it won't work anymore?" Paul growled.

"The blood sucker saw something change. It won't work."

"Where am I supposed to take her now?" Paul's voice was still angry...well more worried and scared...but it came out angry.

"Nowhere." Jake's voice sounded hollow and raw.

"WHAT?" I flinched this time...which is a big deal.

"We'll protect her the best we can from here."

"How much time?"

"Tomorrow morning."

"Tell Sam that the pack can cover the perimeters but I get Camryn to myself tonight." His voice was dangerous.

"I don't think he's going to like that very much," one look from Paul was enough to silence him. "But I'll tell him anyway."

Paul slammed the door, his hands balled into fists, his whole body shaking. His back was to me. I slowly reached up and put my hand on his shoulder. He turned quickly and I saw his face. Tears were silently running down his cheeks. Then I understood.

The reason I couldn't go to the meeting, the reason Sam let Paul win when they thought they could still get me out. I wasn't going to survive if we stayed. I wasn't going to live. I had survived the odds before. This time I would just have to make sure I kept the odds in my favor. No matter what.

I pulled him to me and kissed his tears. Eventually our lips met and he lifted me up and carried me to our bedroom. Nothing else mattered. Just me and him. I had already lost my brothers to the Volturi, I wasn't going to let them have Paul too. Not without a fight.


	20. Chapter 20: Battling Fate

Chapter 20

Battling Fate

I love the moments when you first wake up. When the bed is the perfect temperature and you could swear that you've never been more comfortable in your life. My back was to Paul, our bodies fitting perfectly together. The heat of his skin rolled off onto me, keeping me from the crisp morning chill. I was indescribably happy.

Then, just like that, my brain started to emerge from the place of dreams and comfort to face the unpredictable, dangerous arena of reality. Automatically, my muscles tensed up and I couldn't breathe. Paul's reaction was instantaneous.

"Shh, it's going to be okay. You're safe." He sat up and pulled me into his lap, cradling me in his arms. It was no use. I had already broken down into uncontrollable sobs, the kind of crying that no one has the capability to look pretty during, not even a Rosalie if she could cry. He persevered in his attempts to calm me down. "Camryn, shh, you're okay."

"Paul," his name was all I could manage to choke out. I doubted if it was even remotely coherent, since it came out broken and contorted by my sobbing.

"I'm here, baby, I'm here. Shh." He rocked me back and forth.

"Paul," I tried again, "don't ever leave me."

"I would never dream of leaving you." He answered, choking up a bit himself.

"No, I mean, even if things get bad, really bad. Don't leave my side. Promise." The worst of my sobbing had stopped. I was out of his lap and facing him on my knees.

"Never. I will never leave you. I promise." He answered. His voice was earnest and in full seriousness.

I took a breath. "Even if my life depends on it."

He was silent. He just stared at me with a blank expression. I stared back.

"Camryn..." He began, his voice giving away his dislike of such a promise.

"No. Promise me. I can't...," I let out a frustrated sigh and continued at a slower pace, making each word count, "I don't think I can handle all of this if I can't see that you're safe."

"I can take care of myself," Paul began, interrupting me.

"I'm not done. If it comes down to it, I can keep you from dying. I can keep everyone from getting hurt. But if I can't see that you are unharmed, then I don't think I will have the mental capacity for self preservation."

"Listen to me, Camryn Vera Cullen," He said sternly, taking my face firmly between his hands. "If you even think about putting yourself in harm's way for me, or for anyone else, I swear I will kill you myself."

"Do you promise?" I asked, not at all phased by his attempt to sway me.

He let out a growl. "Fine. Yes. I promise. But you have to promise me something too."

"What?"

"If anything happens to me," I began to let out a string of protests, but Paul covered my mouth and continued. "If anything happens to me, swear that you will live."

He slowly uncovered my mouth. "Hell, no. Are you kidding me? There is no way on God's green..." He quickly covered my mouth again, but I continued to talk against his hand.

"Camryn!" He ordered sternly. I shut up. "Promise me. You must live."

He took his hand off again. I decided to behave a little bit better this time. "How can I make a promise like that? How can I live without you?" I asked softly, tearing up.

He stared tenderly at me for a moment. Then he pulled me into his lap again and kissed me.

"You can make a promise like that because I don't think I can handle all of this if I don't know that you will do everything in your power to live. You have to live Camryn, there is so much more to life than just werewolves and vampires. You deserve to have a family, to grow old with someone."

"I don't want to have a family with anyone else. I don't want to grow old with anyone but you."

"Believe me, I don't like the idea of you with anyone else either. But you deserve a chance at having a normal life."

"What kind of normal life could I have after this? After you? You are my _life_, Paul. You. Only you. And that's the only reason I will go along with this promise of yours. For you. Not that I will be happy about it in the _slightest_."

"Thank you. It's all I could ask for." He concluded. We fell into a comfortable but tense silence.

A howl sounded in the distance.

"It's time." Paul's deep voice sounded detached, foreboding even.

"Paul?" I asked hesitantly.

"Yeah?"

"I love you."

"Stop trying to say goodbye. Neither of us is going anywhere. I'll express my feelings for you after we survive this." He replied, a mischievous glint in his eyes.

"Oh, an incentive for both of us to not get killed. Great idea." I answered back. He simply rolled his eyes.

Paul stiffened. He was on alert. Someone banged on the downstairs door.

"Who is it?" I asked, perking up.

"Brady and Collin." I curled up closer to Paul's chest. He wrapped his arms around me, holding me tight. We both groaned as they knocked again. I was surprised the door didn't bust down. We untangled ourselves and stood up.

I had a sudden epiphany. Brady and Collin. Collin and Brady. "Oh no, are they supposed to be my body guards or something?"

Paul simply cleared his throat and headed out the door. I was hot on his heels.

"Come on! I mean, you're going to be with me the whole time anyway. Why do we need both of them?"

"I wanted to be sure you were protected just in case I had to leave you for any measurable amount of time."

"But you won't?" I asked timidly.

"I promised, didn't I?" He asked rhetorically. I caught the edge of frustration in his voice.

"Yes, as did I." I reminded him.

"Thank you," he replied quietly.

He opened the door, allowing just enough space for the two werewolves, who always seemed to get the short stick, to barge right on in.

"Oh, yes, why don't you two come in? Make yourselves comfortable? Don't mind us, this is just our house, where we could be having a personal moment." Paul was starting to take out his frustration and nerves out on the poor unsuspecting duo.

Collin and Brady glanced nervously at each other, then Brady had the nerve to look me over. I was wearing one of Paul's old high school sweatshirts and shorts and who knows what my hair looked like. Brady's eyebrows went up. Paul let out a low growl, claiming what was his, I imagine.

"Sorry, man, we didn't really think… I mean…just sorry." Collin sputtered out. His face was turning red.

"Stop being a jerk, Paul. You're the one who led them to that sort of assumption. And guys...seriously, we're not even married. Give me more credit than that." I scoffed.

Paul chuckled as Collin and Brady turned an even darker shade of red. Another howl went up in the distance. We all stiffened. At that point I knew that all smiles and laughter were on extended leave.

"What are the orders?" Paul asked, his face like stone.

"We're to stay here. You're supposed to meet up with Jake on first beach. The waters need to be watched in case they try to sneak up on the bloodsuckers that way." My grip on his hand immediately got tighter.

"I can't. Collin, you go. Brady and I can take care of Camryn." He replied, squeezing back.

"But Sam said..." Collin started.

Paul quickly interrupted. "Screw Sam and his orders." Paul was aggravated, he paused and tried again, "I can't leave." Collin and Brady threw slightly annoyed looks in my direction. I felt bad for making them deal with this, but at the same time I was feeling too selfish and vulnerable to really care.

"Alright, I'll tell him. But if he doesn't go for it..." Collin trailed off. He turned and marched out the door.

Brady went and threw himself on the couch. Wolves. I shook my head.

Paul pulled me into him, bending slightly to rest his chin on my head. We took comfort in each others' embrace.

I heard the front door open and tried to turn around, but Paul's arms kept me from going anywhere. He finally took pity on me and turned me around but kept his arms locked tight. He didn't seem the least worried about Sam's verdict.

"Sam said that you're being an idiot but that he doesn't have time to argue, so have it your way." Collin relayed the message. "But you have to move her to the other location we talked about where her scent isn't as strong. Also, one of the vamps suggested that Camryn change clothes to disguise her scent even more."

"Good as done." Paul replied. Collin nodded once and ran back out the door.

While Paul and Brady waited downstairs, I dug in Paul's closet for another outfit. I finally found some really old shorts that actually fit me. I figured he probably hadn't worn them since he was about twelve. Then I found a crinkled up long sleeve plaid flannel shirt and threw it on. It hung to my knees and the arms hung over my hands. I was rolling them up when Paul came to check on me.

"You ready?" He asked, surveying my attire.

"Yeah." I replied shaking my hair down into my face.

"May I?" He asked, motioning to pick me up. I nodded once.

He swung me up and jogged to where Brady was waiting outside in wolf form. Paul stayed human. I closed my eyes for the ride, which was a lot bumpier that a ride with a vampire, but also much warmer. We changed direction multiple times, to keep the trail confusing.

We were in front of a small shack when Paul put me down.

"I know it's a bit sketchy, but it's out of the way and somewhere we can easily protect." Paul explained. I nodded, not trusting myself to speak. The shack was somewhere on a mountain.

He led me inside, where there was nothing but a sleeping bag and cooler. Paul shut the door tightly and made sure all the windows were covered. I sat down on the sleeping bag and shivered. Paul joined me and pulled me into his lap. I was grateful for the heat of his body.

All we had left to do was wait.

Brady continued to make noises outside the door, sometimes whining, sometimes growling. Paul was tense. I only felt a little bit guilty for keeping Paul from his personal vendetta against the vampires who had turned my life into what he considered a nightmare.

It got worse as time went on. Finally, Brady phased and crashed through the doorway. Paul placed me to the side and stood immediately. Something was wrong. I could tell by the look on Brady's face.

"A few of us are down, I have to go." My heart stopped.

No. No. No. A few of us are down? I had to go. I had to give myself up. My mind didn't even have time to consider other options. A few of us are down. From Brady's perspective that meant one of the wolves. One of Paul's brothers.

I wouldn't let anyone else get hurt, or worse. Not on my account. Not when I could help it. I would have to convince Paul that I had changed my mind, that the promises we had made were void. And then I would have to find a way out, where he couldn't follow me. I would find the Volturi and make a deal. Me, for my family's safety.

The Volturi. They would never agree to something like that. Not when they could just take me without having to follow an agreement. Then there was the problem of Jane, my worst fear. But I had to try. For Paul.

"Camryn!" Paul's voice boomed into my mind. "Calm down!"

It took me a moment to realize that I was hyperventilating, with tears streaming down my face. I was pathetic. How the hell could a measly human like me pull a stunt like this off? I thought I was stronger than this. But here I was, severely disappointing myself, blubbering like a fool while innocent people died. This would not do. I struggled for control.

Paul looked at me warily. "Are you okay?" He asked. I nodded my head, still working on making myself look better than I felt. If I was going to do this, I would need better composure. At least a semblance of appearing in control.

"I'll be fine." I said after a moment. "You should go, they need you."

"Brady will go. I promised, remember?" He replied.

I shook my head. "No, you're the better fighter. No offense." I answered, glancing over to where Brady still stood.

"She's right. You _are_ a better fighter." Brady spoke up, his fists were clenched.

Paul looked like he was having a serious internal struggle. "Go." I whispered. "I'll be fine."

"Why do you want me to leave?" He asked suddenly. "And don't tell me it's because I'm a better fighter."

I stumbled over my next attempt. "They need you. I know you hate not being down there with them. They're your family."

"Yours too. What are you thinking about doing?" He eyed me suspiciously. He knew me too well. Damn imprinting.

"Nothing." I tried to look innocent. Time was running out. Come on, I begged internally, fall for it. Stupid supernatural creatures never fell for my pleading like humans did.

"Alright," He said slowly. Was he falling for it? "I'll go." Yes! He was falling for it. I felt a wave of guilt wash over me, but I quickly pushed it aside. This was a necessary evil.

"I love you." I said seriously, knowing that this may be the last time I saw him. I wanted to cling to him, beg him not to go, tell him how much I really loved him, but I couldn't. I had a job to do. I had to save his life.

He reached into the cooler and fiddled with something inside. "Here," Paul said, handing me a bottle of water. "Drink this, you're dehydrated. The last thing I need is you going into shock while I'm gone."

I took the bottle shakily from his hand. I had to keep up appearances. I took a sip, and then another. I waited for him to leave.

He watched me instead. I took another sip. Something wasn't right.

"Where'd you get this water?" I asked suddenly, looking at the label. "It tastes weird."

"Emily's." Paul replied quickly. Too quickly. I stared at him. He broke his gaze and walked over to the cooler. He pulled out another water bottle, opened it and took a swig. "Tastes fine to me."

"Paul Michael Akalat, did you really think you could drug me and get away with it?!" I asked angrily. He looked ashamed. "What good would knocking me out do anyway? It would just make me an easier target! What were you thinking?"

He got defensive. "I didn't want to do it, okay! It just made sense. I didn't want you to do anything stupid when I was gone, and I didn't want you to have a panic attack. And Sam said you probably wouldn't catch on since your senses aren't as strong."

"You were planning on drugging me sooner weren't you. Before you made that promise. I can't believe this!"

"I'm sorry, Cam!"

"Guys, sorry to break up this little argument, but someone needs to get down there now." Brady interrupted urgently.

"You go." Paul said.

"No." I answered, stubbornly. "Paul, you go. I'll be fine, not to mention conscious enough to _scream_ if I need any sort of help."

Paul glared at me, I glared right back. He finally sighed, giving up. "Just keep your promise please."

"I'll try, but I can't make any guarantees." I was hardening myself. I knew I was being cruel. But I didn't want to set Paul up for disappointment.

"You don't make this easy." He said, pulling me into a gruff embrace.

"Because it's not easy. This is probably the hardest thing I've ever had to do. Letting you go." I sputtered into his shoulder, where my face was pressed.

He pulled me up to him and kissed me hard. I got my arms loose and wrapped them around his neck, pulling myself closer to his level and kissed back. It was an urgent kiss, a kiss of despondency, a kiss of desperate uncertainty.

"Go." I whispered, finally pulling away. He pulled away quickly and opened the door. He turned and looked at me once more. Then he was gone.

I stood there for a moment then turned my attention to my original plan. The next task on my list was to get rid of Brady.

"I'm going to take a nap. You can guard outside if you want, you know, to keep contact." I told Brady, making an effort to look drained and weak. He would believe me too tired to run.

"Are you sure?" He asked, looking at me worriedly.

"I'll be fine." I assured him. He suddenly froze, motioning me to be still. I remained silent.

"Stay here." He mouthed. He snuck over to the door and slid out, leaving me by myself. By myself. Just what I had wanted. It wasn't as hard as I thought it would be. I tiptoed over to one of the windows and yanked at the boards that covered it.

A loud yelp, followed by a series of snarls and growls sent me into overdrive. I was lucky that the boards were old and thin, they came off fairly easily. Especially when I found an old hammer laying nearby to smash them with.

The fight was happening out front, so I ran the opposite direction. I hoped that I would magically find someone to make the deal with, and repeated a constant prayer not to run into Jane. I had no idea where I was, or even if I was headed the right direction.

I was reassured in an odd sort of way when I started to come across destroyed parts of the forest.

"Hello! I'm here! I have a proposition for you!" I called out lamely.

"Camryn! What are you doing?!" Rosalie hissed from above. I spun around quickly to see her crouching on a ledge.

I backed away. "Leave me alone, Rose. I'm trying to save you." She looked at me confused. "Hello!" I screamed again. Her eyes grew huge. She lept toward me.

Smack! Rose and another figure smashed through several trees. I screamed involuntarily. I scrambled up the ledge to avoid the debris. This was my first time witnessing an actual fight.

I felt a gush of wind go by me. I gasped as I felt a cold hand on my elbow.

"Camille, darling, how nice of you to come out and play." A silky voice spoke into my ear. I shivered.

"I have a proposition." I stuttered, trying to catch my breath.

"Do you now?" He asked. Before I could reply, a world of pain exploded from my shoulder as my arm was jerked from its socket. I yowled in pain. I fell onto the rocks, scraping myself up.

The man was now busy with one of the wolves. Seth. Another flash went by me. My head was spinning. My plan wasn't going as well as I had anticipated. Pain shot up my arm but then I could hardly feel it at all.

I found myself looking into blood red eyes. I couldn't see anything else, just the eyes. Everyone else was too busy with their own battles to see the danger I had found myself in. Stupid plan. Stupid, stupid me.

A roar went up behind me. I covered an ear with my only good hand. A large grey blur lept over me. I backed up only to find the edge of the ledge beneath my feet. A thunderous tremor went through the ground and the next thing I knew I was falling backwards. A sharp pain went through my head. The loud hisses, growls, and crashes slowly faded into silence.

_Drip. Drip. Drip. I could hear the rain falling outside the window. It was still dark out. I sat up in bed and swung my legs over the edge. My little feet dangled above the floor. I jumped down, landing with a thud. I froze and looked around. None of the other girls reacted. I let out a sigh of relief. I tiptoed out the door and down a flight of stairs that led to the basement. _

"_What's the password?" A voice asked. I giggled. This was one of my favorite parts of the game. _

"_Ms. Turson smells like feet!" I whispered, falling into a fit of giggles. _

"_Shhh! Camille, don't be so loud!" Another voice whispered back. An arm came through the door and dragged me inside. _

"_What are you doing here?! I told you not to come anymore!" His hands were on his hips. A group of boys watched me from corners of the empty room. _

_I mimicked his stance. "You're not the boss of me!" _

"_Who said?" He asked looking down at me, blinking and rubbing his eyes. _

"_Mommy and Daddy!" I said stomping my foot. He just looked at me, his eyes sad. Then he looked over his shoulder at the boys._

"_Just don't go embarrassing me! Got that?" He whispered in my ear. "Fine. But this is the last time!" He ordered so everyone could hear. I nodded solemnly. _

"_Let's get on with this!" _

"_Yeah! Come on, Conner, lets see what you got!" _

"_My bet's on Roger!" _

"_Nah man! Conner's a pro!"_

_The boys settled around a deck of cards. I settled off to the side to watch my big brother play. It wasn't long before Conner was winning. I wasn't sure what they were doing, but I knew that Conner was the best. He could win anything, even hide and go seek. _

_Suddenly the door flew open, revealing three very angry looking adults. Everyone scattered. The cards flew up into the air and I was caught in the mayhem. An arm found its way to the collar of my nightgown. I struggled against it, but it was no use. I was caught. _

_The man, the home's groundkeeper, turned to look me in the eyes. "What's a toddler like you doing down here at this time of night?" I struggled a little longer before looking him right back into the eyes. _

"_You're not the boss of me! Let me go!" The man blinked slowly, and then set me down. I scurried off before he could follow. _

"_What'd you let her go for! Idiot!" I heard a woman scold him. I giggled as I tiptoed my way back to the bedroom. _

My head pounded. It felt like my brain was about to explode. What the hell? I groaned and sat up slowly. I couldn't hear anything. It took me a moment to realize that it was actually silent, not a problem with my ears.

The ground was wet and hard. I groggily opened my eyes. I sucked in a deep breath and held it. My eyes were probably huge from shock. Two vampires stood watching me.

Two unfamiliar maroon-eyed vampires and human me. Not good. Not good at all. Shit.

"What do you want?" I squeaked. I looked around frantically. Where was Paul? Carlisle? Edward? Esme? Alice? Bella? Jasper? Emmett? Rosalie? Anyone from the pack? I didn't see signs of any familiar friendly face. I was alone with two maroon eyed vampires, God only knows where. The ledge and destroyed forest were gone. I was again in unfamiliar territory.

"We're not going to hurt you," One answered, his voice smooth and calming. I wasn't fooled though. I had grown up with civil vampires, running from the red-eyed monsters. I knew underneath all of their charm and lure there was just the lust for my blood.

"Yeah right." I spat. No, stop it. Don't be stupid. Don't make them angry. Shit. Shit. Shit.

"Camille, I promise. We're not here to hurt you." I started at the casual use of my old name.

"We're here to help you." The other one finished.

"If I go with you willingly, will you leave the Cullens and werewolves alone, promise not to hurt them anymore?" I asked, realizing that without even trying I had gotten this far. Alone to negotiate with the Volturi.

"We're not here to hurt them. We just wanted to see you."

I was confused. "You are part of the Volturi right?"

"Yes and no." One answered.

"We live with them, and came here with them. But we don't believe what they are doing is right." The other clarified.

"So what do you want with me?" I asked, my voice squeaking.

"Camille, don't you recognize us?" It asked. I looked at both of the blood-thirsty animals for the first time. One had dark rust color hair, the other a strawberry blonde. They were tall, young, and looking at me in earnest. No, I thought, it couldn't be. I shook the thought from my head.

"I don't associate myself with anyone of the Volturi." I growled.

"She knows us." The strawberry-blonde said to the other. It looked over at me. "It's me, Camille, it's Hagan. It's Hagan and Conner."

"No!" I screamed, covering my ears to protect them from their lies. My arm was no longer separated from its socket, though it was still sore. "No! They're dead! The Volturi killed them! I saw it happen! They're dead! They're dead!" I jumped to my feet and backed into a tree. I slid down and sat with my knees pulled up to my chest. I knew it was useless to run.

"Camille! It's us! I promise. It's us!" I whimpered as the one who claimed to be Hagan stepped closer.

Suddenly he stopped, turning his head in another direction. Both of them cursed under their breath.

"Look what we have here." A shrill voice came from the direction Hagan was glaring in. I knew that voice. "A nice little family reunion, I see." She stepped into the small clearing. I was too terrified to scream. The angelic face that haunted my dreams was now standing before me. Though she seemed smaller than how the younger me remembered her, but still just as terrifying. "What? Is she not welcoming you with open arms? What a pity."

"How did you get away?" Conner hissed.

"Probably the same way as you two. Don't give yourself so much credit. I'm as talented as you are. Just because Aro has new favorites doesn't mean I've lost my touch." She explained. "But now that you seem to have formed a soft spot for this little sister of yours, I doubt you'll be in Aro's favor much longer."

"You brag too soon." Conner replied.

I watched as Edward and Bella appeared behind Jane. Then Jane was gone. A gush of wind flew past me. I screamed when I felt her stone cold hands wrap around my wrist. Edward and Bella advanced, but stopped suddenly as Jane held up her other hand.

"Aro will be coming soon. If either of you want to remain living, you'll remain where you are." She said looking at Edward and Bella. She turned her head towards the redheads. "On the other hand, if either of you have hopes of regaining his favor, you'll finish them off."

Bella glanced in their direction, but Edward didn't even flinch. "It's five against one, Jane. You'll lose." Edward said. Five. He said five. Then I saw him. Paul. The large grey wolf stood a good distance from the vampires, but I could see him through the trees.

"You wouldn't dare come any closer. I have everything you want. You have nothing I want. Like I said, Aro is on his way and he's not alone." She replied.

I saw Paul edge closer. I was on the ground in seconds. Pain shot through my entire body. I heard someone screaming. It hurt my head, I wanted them to stop. Stop the noise. Stop the pain. Then it did. I was only left with the throbbing leftovers.

"I told you not to come closer." Jane laughed. I heard the loud menacing growls and hisses coming from all around me. "Aro should be here soon. He'll be so proud. Then I will get to have as much fun as I want. I'm especially curious to see how the wolves react to my gifts. Shall we see?"

"No!" Someone cried. I realized that it was my own voice.

"Oh, is our little human pet fond of the mutt?" Jane asked.

"Don't hurt him. You can do anything you want to me, just don't hurt him!" I struggled to lift myself up, my muscles still burned.

"Jane!" Edward called. "Aro isn't coming. Give it up."

"Why should I believe you?"

"Why would he come when most everyone is dead? Why would he directly associate himself with this disaster? Let her go."

"He's telling the truth." The bells of Alice's voice rang in my head.

"No. You're lying!" She retorted.

"Why would all of us be up here if there was anyone left?" Edward asked.

"Don't come closer!" She screamed at them. Pain hit me again. This time it was much stronger and much more brutal. I screamed bloody murder. Everything went black. I was dead. There was no other explanation. I had to be dead.

..........................................................................................................................................

"_Can she hear me?"_

"_I don't know. Her body has been through a lot. I've never treated one of Jane's victims before. I don't really know what it does to a human's body." _

"_But she'll live, right?"_

"_She's a strong girl. Most humans would have died instantly after something like that."_

"_But she'll live? She has to. She can't die. She promised."_

"_Camryn, baby, can you hear me?"_

"_Wake up. Come back to me. I need you."_

"_Camryn..."_


	21. Chapter 21: Forever

_First I would like to say SORRY! Secondly I would like to blame my beta for the delay...not really, but she gave me full permission to do so and I thought I might as well take advantage. Truthfully we both kind of forgot about it...which I feel really bad about! It was written and ready to go but life got in the way of Rue editing it and of me reminding her. This is the last chapter and I probably won't be on here again for a long while. Maybe someday I will write on here again, but now is not that time. Thank you to all who have stuck with Camryn and Paul through their rollercoaster romance. _

_And btw I got a chance to attend TwiCon this summer and it was absolutely amazing! Ashley Greene (Alice) and Kellan Lutz (Emmett) are awesome and I encourage everyone who has the opportunity to attend any TwiCon events in the upcoming years to do so. Simply phenomenal! _

_Peace and Love! ~lynarose_

* * *

Chapter 21:

Forever

"Hey, anything from her yet?" Jacob's voice pierced through my consciousness.

"No change since yesterday. How's Jordan?" Bella asked.

_Who are you talking about? Who's Jordan? And what the hell are you two doing in the same room? _I asked, only my voice didn't seem to work. I tried to lift my arm but found that nothing I ordered my limbs to do would work. I couldn't move or speak. I couldn't even open my eyes. It was like I was permanently stuck. Then I remembered. The fight, Jane, the overwhelming pain, and Paul . . . I internally cursed.

"I just dropped her off at the hospital. I have to pick her up at three when her shift ends." He replied, his voice full of pride. I concentrated on the conversation, hoping for some clue as to what the hell was going on.

"Are you going to bring her here? I want to meet her." Alice's voice rang from another part of the room, or wherever I was.

"Only if Mister Overprotective over there will let anyone near Camryn." Jacob replied. Mister Overprotective? That could only mean one thing . . .

"I am not being overprotective." Paul growled. My heart soared at the sound of his voice. Paul, Paul, Paul, Paul, Paul. I sing-songed his name in my head. If I had any control of my voice or bodily functions I would have screamed with joy and tackled him to the floor. But alas, I was incapable of making a complete fool of myself.

"I'm being sensible. Especially since she works at a hospital! Camryn's in a fragile state. The last thing we need is for her to catch something."

"Carlisle said she was just fine. She's supposed to wake up any day now." Jacob argued.

_I'm awake! I'm awake!_

"I'm not risking it." Paul said with finality. He was just so darn cute when he got all protective.

"Are we interrupting anything?" A strange, but familiar, voice entered the room.

"Only the usual." Emmett replied. Good Lord, how many people were in here? I was obviously not in a hospital room, or any sort of normal sized room for that matter.

"So are we allowed to ask questions now?" Quil pleaded. Chuckles went around the room.

"I have no problem with questions." The voice answered.

"Neither do I," Another strange, yet familiar voice added.

"Awesome." Quil cleared his throat. "I still don't understand why they singled you out. No offense, but a few red haired orphans don't seem worth all of this. Ow!" I heard the impact of what I suspected to be Embry or Jacob's elbow to Quil's side.

_Thanks for the compliment Quil. _I responded sarcastically in my head. Then it hit me, the strangers were my brothers. If the Cullen's had let them stay then they must be the real thing. I grinned on the inside. I had found my family. Conner and Hagan were alive, well . . . sort of.

"We're special. We have certain . . . talents." One of my brothers replied, not seeming to be bothered by the question.

"They're like us. Our abilities are extremely rare. The Volturi have been on the lookout for more to join their ranks for years." Emmett replied.

"Wait, abilities? Camryn doesn't have any abilities." Paul interrupted. _Oh crap. _I had purposely forgotten to mention certain details of my childhood to Paul. I didn't really think it was that important at the time.

_Please don't take it too hard. _I begged.

"Camille most definitely has an ability." My brother defended.

"Even though she's the youngest, she has the best control. I was always jealous." The other one boasted. I still wasn't sure which was which, the last time I had heard their voices they had been nowhere near puberty.

"Camryn stopped using her ability after a while. It only works on humans. Once she was old enough to understand how different she was from other children, she made the choice to stop. She didn't think it was fair." Bella explained. I could always count on Bella to make me look good. I just hoped Paul would understand.

"Sounds like her." A brother responded.

"What can she do exactly?" Paul asked. He was still processing, he was taking it better than I thought he would.

"She can persuade people to do anything she wants. She didn't understand it at first. It's just that whenever she said 'You're not the boss of me,' people would do what she wanted them to do." Another brother described.

"A gift of excessive charm." Alice laughed.

"She never told me anything about it." Paul muttered.

_Please don't hate me. _

"It wasn't that big of a deal to her. Especially since she never uses her ability anyway." Jasper chimed in, probably sensing Paul's distress. Thank God for Jasper.

"She thought it would embarrass you to find out that she wasn't just a child prodigy, but a supernatural one at that. Hurt your poor dog pride or some other nonsense. If it wasn't for you, she would have gone places." Rosalie's voice struck out into the room. I guessed she had just joined my audience. I rolled my eyes internally.

_Could you please be nice to him for me Rose? Just this once?_

"Did I really hold her back that much?" Paul asked, defeated, after a moment of silence. I wanted to scream.

"Don't listen to Rosalie. She's just a touchy about Cam being attached to anyone other than us." Alice brushed off Rosalie's harsh remark.

"Yeah, don't beat yourself up, man. You reminded Camryn how to live again. Showed her what she was missing." Emmett joined in. I could just see the glare Rose was sending his way.

Paul grunted his response.

"So this is why the Volturi were after her?" Quil asked, trying to bring the heat off of Paul.

"Yes. The theory was that her ability would expand magnificently once she became a vampire. She would have been an even greater prodigy in the vampire world." Bella explained.

"Still the ongoing theory, actually." A brother added.

A growl exploded from Paul's throat.

_Don't be stupid. Please don't do anything you'd regret later._

"Don't worry. We'd never voluntarily change her." The brother hastily replied, trying to keep the peace.

"What abilities do you two have?" Jacob asked calmly. Apparently Paul's outbursts weren't too major, or Jake would have reacted.

"Hagan can tell whether someone is being honest, and I am really good at strategy." Conner responded.

"Can I test it? The honesty thing I mean?" Quil asked.

"Umm, sure."

"Hey, Brady!" Quil shouted.

"What?" Brady's faint reply could be heard.

"What'd you do with my wrench?" Quil asked.

"I didn't touch your stupid wrench!" Brady replied, exasperated.

"So?" Quil asked.

"He's telling the truth." Hagan replied.

"Thanks, man." Quil answered.

"Dude! What was the point of that?" Embry asked.

"What? I've been looking for that thing all week!" Quil exclaimed.

"Carlisle and Edward are back." Alice chimed.

_Edward! Perfect!_

I tuned out the conversation in the room and focused on mentally shouting.

_Edward, I'm awake! Tell me what the hell is going on!_

"Are you sure?" Carlisle's voice could be heard in the hall.

"Yes. I'm positive. Watch." Edward's voice came closer.

"What's going on? What's wrong?" Paul asked frantically.

"Nothing's wrong. Edward said he can hear her. She's awake. Mentally at least." Carlisle explained.

"Camryn? Baby? Is everything okay? Can you move at all?" Paul asked, his voice full of worry.

"Camryn? Can you hear me?" Edward included.

_Yes I can hear everyone. I've been awake for a while, but I can't seem to move anything. I'm fine other than that though. Tell Paul I love him. What happened? Who's Jordan? How long have I been out? And let Paul know that I meant to tell him about my ability, but there were more important things going on. Just make sure he's not mad._

"What's she saying?" Paul asked.

"She's worried that you're mad at her because she never told you about her ability. She is also asking a ton of questions."

_Which I would very much like answered, thank you very much. And don't forget to tell Paul that I love him. _

"She says she loves you."

"I love you too, and I could never be mad at you. You had your reasons for not telling me. I understand." Paul replied. I let out an internal sigh. "What are her questions?"

"I think Carlisle should explain her condition to her before we get to anything else. She says she can hear everything but she can't move at all."

"Camryn, you are on some pretty strong pain medication which may explain why you can't move. If I am correct you should regain movement within a few hours." Carlisle explained.

_Oh, I had better._

"Do you know how long you've been unconscious?" he continued.

"She doesn't, that was one of her questions." Edward answered for me.

"You've been out for about two weeks." Carlisle replied. _Two weeks? Shit. I thought maybe two days but two weeks? What the hell did that bitch do to me? Speaking of her, what happened? Is she still alive? _I started to panic.

"First off, stop cursing. Second, Jane is dead. You don't have to worry about her ever again." Edward reprimanded me. A wave of relief flooded over chuckled.

"Watch your language, no need to get me in even more trouble with the future in-laws." Paul whispered in my ear. I smiled as he said in-laws. I was free. Free to have a future with the man I loved. Nothing could make me happier.

"You're smiling!" Paul exclaimed. I began to regain some feeling. I could feel the heat of Paul's hand on mine, and his fingers as they stroked my cheek. Slowly I worked my eyes open. Paul's face was the first thing I saw once my eyes readjusted to the light. Millions of thoughts filled my head.

"Camryn, please, I'm the only one who can hear your thoughts!" Edward exclaimed. My face heated up, Paul just laughed along with the other people in the room. His eyes sparkled with amusement. He leaned down and lightly kissed my lips.

"Would you like us to leave now and finish this later?" Edward asked, he looked slightly amused as he asked this. As much as I wanted to take up his offer, I knew that I also needed some clarification on a few things.

"Stop teasing her, Edward. You and Bella were the same way." Alice chided.

My face heated up again. "We'll behave." Paul said winking at me.

"Anyway," Carlisle continued, "you had four broken ribs, a broken arm, and a twisted ankle. The rest was your body reacting to injuries it thought it had, but didn't, due to Jane's handy work."

_Where am I? _

"She wants to know where she is." Edward related my thoughts to the group.

"You're in the house we lived in during the Edward-Bella drama days." Emmett replied.

"I decorated the room for you." Alice added proudly. I looked around for the first time. The room was decorated in different hues of blue and green. Fresh flowers in vases were scattered around the room.

"Don't worry Alice, she likes it." Edward said.

_Before I forget, who's Jordan?_

"I'll let you take this one Jacob. She wants to know who Jordan is." Edward walked over to sit next to Bella. I looked over to where Jake was leaning up against a wall.

"She's my imprint." Jake said with a goofy smile on his face.

My smile grew wider. _I am so glad that you've found someone._

"She says congratulations." Edward replied.

"I met her on a hospital run, so it's all thanks to you that I found her." Jake expressed his gratitude.

_You're very welcome. _

"You're very welcome." Edward repeated.

I sighed and settled into my pillows, I was able to move stiffly now. Two vampires in a back corner caught my attention. I turned to the best of my ability and looked at them.

_Conner and Hagan._

I knew Edward was about to translate so I quickly, yet gently, held up my hand for him to stop. The two red heads walked closer to my bed. Paul squeezed my hand gently. I glanced at him and nodded to show him that it was okay.

I cleared my throat and tried to talk. Nothing came out. I tried clearing it a few more times to see if it would help.

"You found me." I finally managed, even though it came out as a pathetic, raspy whisper.

"We never stopped looking." Conner replied.

"You're our little sister, what else were we supposed to do?" Hagan questioned.

"Your eyes, they're different." I noticed. The blood red they used to be had begun to fade into a shade closer to gold.

"The Cullen's are letting us join their clan. It's been difficult, but much better than the Volturi." Hagan explained.

I smiled and turned to Carlisle. "Thank you."

"Your family is our family. They seem eager to change their ways." Carlisle replied.

"I'm fascinated by this whole doctor concept. I'm hoping to learn." Conner said.

"And I'll be happy to teach." Carlisle beamed at his new pupil.

"I think we've worn her out enough for today." Edward said suddenly, getting to his feet.

"I agree. You need to get your rest." Carlisle added.

Alice danced over to me and gave me a hug. "I'm so happy you're alright. I don't know what Jazz and I would have done without you."

Bella hugged me next. Then Rose, with an added glare towards Paul. Emmett pulled me into one of his bear hugs as well. "Get better, kiddo." I laughed. We were the same age now, in appearance anyway.

The wolves ducked out quietly, but not before I caught Quil. "Say hello to Claire for me, will ya?"

"Sure thing! She's been asking about you." He replied.

Conner and Hagan nodded at me awkwardly, probably still too new at the diet to be too comfortable around me. Soon Paul was the only person left in the room.

"Finally!" He exclaimed. I laughed and patted the bed, inviting him to join me. He gently moved me over a little bit so that his large self could fit. I leaned my head against his chest and let out a contented sigh.

"Are you comfortable?" He asked. I nodded. "Do you need anything?" I laughed at his worry.

"Other than you?" I asked with a smile, tilting my head to look at his face.

His face was serious. "I thought I'd lost you." He put his hand underneath my chin, keeping my eyes locked with his.

"My ability may only work on humans, but I have a natural tendency to get my way. There was no way I was letting some stupid evil vampires get in the way of my future with you." I answered with a smile.

He leaned down and kissed me. He was being exceptionally gentle, still afraid that I might break into pieces at his touch. I pulled him closer, ignoring my sore ribs and wrist.

"I love you." He whispered, his voice raspy.

"I love you too, and I will forever."

"Forever. I like the sound of that." He leaned down and kissed me again.


End file.
